Ch. 5 - Enzymes Flashcards
What is a catalyst?
A substance which speeds up a chemical reaction and is left unchanged at the end of it
Why are enzymes needed?
They’re needed because metabolic reactions are too slow, we would die
How does starch work?
- Starch digested into sugar maltose (by AMYLASE)
- Maltose broken down into glucose molecules
- Glucose molecules used to make cellulose molecules
What are proteins digested into? By what?
Into amino acids, by protease
What is catalase?
An enzyme which speeds up the breaking down of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to water and oxygen
What is hydrogen peroxide?
A very dangerous substance
What are lipases?
Enzymes used to break down lipids
What are carbohydrases?
Enzymes which break down carbohydrates
What is maltase?
A carbohydrase which breaks down maltose
What is sucrase?
A carbohydrase which breaks down sucrose
What is the substrate?
The substance that an enzyme changes
What is the active site?
The part of the enzyme molecule to which the substrate temporarily binds
Complementary shape?
Shape that substrate and enzyme have
What’s the product?
The new substance formed
What is an enzyme-substrate complex?
The short lived structure formed by substrate and enzyme
