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PAPER 1
Key Concepts
enzymes
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Enzymes
Catalysts
made by living
organisms
Enzymes
They are large
proteins
made up of long chains of
amino acids
They can
fold
into different shapes, each shape being a unique enzyme that
catalyzes
a particular chemical reaction
How enzymes work
1. Enzyme has an
active site
with a unique shape
complementary
to the substrate
2. Substrate
binds
to active site
3. Enzyme
catalyzes
the reaction
4. Products are
released
Catalyst
A substance that increases the
speed
of a chemical reaction without being
changed
or used up in the process
Most chemical reactions are naturally quite
slow
Enzymes
speed up
the process
Increasing
temperature
Can
damage
cells and speed up unwanted
reactions
Lock and key
model
Original model where
substrate
has to fit perfectly into the
active site
of the enzyme
Induced fit model
More realistic model where the enzyme changes
shape
slightly to better fit the
substrate
The
active site
of an enzyme is
complementary
to the substrate
The induced fit model is like putting your hand into a
rubber glove
- the
glove
molds around your hand to become a perfect fit