8.2a Enzymes

• Examples of digestive enzymes include:

  1.Amylase - breaks down carbohydrates like starch into sugars.

  2. Protease - breaks down proteins into amino acids.

  3. Lipase - breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
• Describe how emulsification / chewing helps enzymes.

  Emulsification (breaking down fat globules into smaller droplets) and chewing increase the surface area of food, making it easier for digestive enzymes to access and break down the nutrients. This enhances the efficiency of enzymatic digestion.
• What are enzymes made of?

  Enzymes are made of proteins.
• what is a biological catalyst?

  A biological catalyst is a substance, usually a protein like an enzyme, that speeds up chemical reactions in living organisms without being consumed in the process.
• why are enzymes are specific

  Enzymes are specific because of their unique shapes, which allow them to bind only to specific molecules, called substrates, and catalyze particular chemical reactions.
• why are enzymes are complementary to substrates?

  Enzymes are complementary to substrates because their shapes fit together like puzzle pieces, allowing enzymes to bind specifically to their substrates and facilitate chemical reactions.
• Which enzyme has an active site, and what it does?

  Enzymes have an active site, which is a specific region where the substrate binds. This is where the enzyme catalyzes the chemical reaction by bringing the substrate molecules together and facilitating the reaction.
• how do enzymes turn substrates into products?

  Enzymes turn substrates into products by binding to the substrates at their active sites, facilitating the chemical reaction between them. This binding and interaction lower the activation energy required for the reaction, speeding up the conversion of substrates into products.
• The names and functions of digestive enzymes:

  1. Amylase: Breaks down carbohydrates (starches) into sugars.

  2. Protease: Breaks down proteins into amino acids.

  3. Lipase: Breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
• State how emulsification helps enzymes work faster

  Emulsification breaks down large fat droplets into smaller ones, increasing the surface area available for enzymes like lipase to act upon. This enhances the efficiency of fat digestion.
• State how chewing helps enzymes work faster

  Chewing breaks down food into smaller pieces, increasing its surface area and allowing enzymes to access more of it. This speeds up the digestive process.