enzyme vocab Flashcards
(14 cards)
Chemical Reaction
A process in which substances (reactants) are transformed into different substances (products) through breaking and forming chemical bonds.
Reactants
The starting materials in a chemical reaction that are transformed into products
Products
The substances formed as a result of a chemical reaction.
Activation Energy
The minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction.
Catalyst
A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up or permanently changed.
Enzyme
A biological catalyst, usually a protein, that speeds up chemical reactions in living organisms.
Rate of Reaction
The speed at which a chemical reaction occurs.
Induced-fit model
A model describing how an enzyme changes shape slightly to better fit its substrate when it binds to better complete the chemical reaction.
Substrate
The specific molecule that an enzyme acts on during a chemical reaction.
Active site
The specific region on an enzyme where the substrate binds and the reaction occurs.
Specific
Describes how enzymes only act on one particular substrate due to the shape of their active site.
Denature
A process in which an enzyme loses its shape (and function) due to factors like extreme heat or pH changes.
pH
A measure of how acidic or basic a solution is, which can affect enzyme activity.
Temperature
A measure of heat that affects the rate of enzyme activity; too high or too low temperatures can denature enzymes.
