Digestive system and enzymes involved in digestion Flashcards
What is an enzyme?
A biological catalyst.
What is a catalyst?
Something that speeds up the rate of a reaction without getting used up.
Where is amylase produced and what does it break down into?
Produced in the salivary glands and pancreas and breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars.
What are enzymes made of?
Proteins
What is digestion?
The breaking down of large insoluble molecules into smaller more soluble molecules.
Name the parts of the digestive system.
Mouth, salivary glands, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, anus.
Where is lipase produced in the body and what does it break down into?
Produced in pancreas and breaks down lipids into fatty acids + glycerol.
Where is protease produced in the body and what does it break down into?
Produced in stomach and breaks down proteins into amino acids.
What is the purpose of hydrochloric acid in the stomach?
Provides optimum conditions for protease to function in and kills germs and bacteria from food.
What is the optimum level of an enzyme?
The best condition an enzyme functions in so its activity is the highest.
Explain the lock and key theory.
Where the substrate fits specifically to the enzyme active site like a lock and key.
What is the active site?
The shape of the enzyme where substrate binds.
What is the substrate?
The molecule that has the shape specific to enzyme’s active site
What does it mean by when an enzyme is denatured?
The active site of the enzyme changes shape and becomes damage so that the substrate can no longer fit into it. This means that the active site no longer works.
What are the factors that affect enzyme activity?
Temperature, concentration and pH.
