1.7- ENZYME ACTION Flashcards
What type of protein are enzymes?
globular proteins
What do enzymes act like?
act as catalysts
What do catalysts do?
alter rate of chemical reaction without undergoing permanent changes themselves
Why are enzymes effective in small amounts?
can be used repeatedly
What do enzymes NOT do?
make reactions happen
What DO enzymes do?
speed up reactions that already occur
By what factor can enzymes sometimes increase a reaction by?
many millions
What must the substrates collide with?
sufficient energy
Why must the substrates collide with sufficient energy?
to alter the arrangement of their atoms to form products
What must the free energy of the products be like in comparison to the substrates?
free energy must be less than that of the substrates
What do many reactions require to start?
an initial amount of energy
What is the minimum amount of energy needed to activate a reaction called?
activation energy
What must initially be overcome before the reaction can proceed?
an activation energy level, like an energy hill or barrier
How do enzymes work?
work by lowering the activation energy level
As enzymes lower the activation energy what does this mean?
allow reactions to take place at a lower temperature than normal
As the reactions are allowed to happen at a lower temperature, what does this mean?
enables some metabolic processes to occur rapidly at human body temp. , 37 degrees Celsius
How is 37 degrees Celsius in terms of chemical reactions?
relatively low in terms of chemical reactions
What would happen to life without enzymes?
reactions would proceed too slow to sustain life as we know it
How are enzymes globular proteins?
have a specific 3D shape that is result of sequence of amino acids (primary structure)
What is the name of the specific region of the enzyme that is functional?
active site
What is the active site made up of?
relatively small number of amino acids
What does the active site form?
a small depression within the much larger enzyme molecule
What is the name of the molecule on which the enzyme acts on?
substrate
Where does the substrate fit into?
fits neatly into the depression