Enzyme Action

• An enzyme is a biological catalyst that speeds up reactions without changing and being used up
• Enzymes catalyse metabolic reactions (all chemical reactions in cells).
• Catabolic enzymes - break large molecules into smaller molecules
• Anabolic enzymes - build smaller molecules into larger molecules.
• Intracellular enzyme - an enzyme that remains active only within the cell it was formed.
• Extracellular enzyme - An enzyme that functions outside the cell it was formed in
• Enzymes can lower activation energy(energy needed to start a reaction) so reactions can proceed at lower temperatures.
• Enzymes are globular proteins, so they are soluable
• Some medicinal drugs reduce enzyme activity, these are called enzyme inhibitors