Chemical Reactions and Enzymes Flashcards
What is a chemical reaction?
Process that changes, or transforms, one set of chemicals into another
What happens to chemical bonds during chemical reactions?
Joining of atoms in compounds
What are elements/compounds that enter a chemical reaction called?
reactants
What do chemicals reactions produce?
Products
What is activation energy?
Energy needed to start a chemical reaction
What role in living things do enzymes play and what affects their function?
Temperature, pH, and regulatory molecules can affect the activity of molecules
What is a catalyst?
Substance that speeds up a chemical reaction and lowers activation energy
What are enzymes?
proteins that catalyze (start and control) chemical reactions
Enzymes are specific and only bind to what?
their specific substrate (like a lock to a key)
Do enzymes have an optimum temperature and pH they work at?
Yes
