Enzymes Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are enzymes made of?
Enzymes are made of protein.
What is the function of enzymes?
Enzymes catalyse (speed up) reactions in cells.
How do enzymes assist in digestion and respiration?
Enzymes help break down molecules.
How do enzymes assist in protein synthesis?
Enzymes help build up molecules.
What is the active site of an enzyme?
The active site is a specific region of the enzyme where collisions with substrates occur.
What is a substrate?
The substrate is the molecule to be broken down.
What is an enzyme-substrate complex?
An enzyme-substrate complex forms when the substrate collides with the active site and fits in like a key into a lock.
How does temperature affect enzyme activity?
Increasing temperature increases collisions and reactions, but high temperatures can lead to denaturation.
What is the optimum temperature for enzymes?
The optimum temperature is the temperature with the most successful collisions per unit time.
What happens to the substrate after a reaction?
The substrate is converted into a product, which leaves the active site, allowing the unchanged enzyme to be used again.
How are enzymes made?
Instructions to make enzymes are written in DNA.
What are genes?
Genes are sections of DNA made of many bases; every 3 DNA bases code for an amino acid.
How do amino acids relate to enzyme formation?
Amino acids are linked in chains and interact to fold into enzymes with specific active sites.
What effect does pH have on enzyme activity?
The further from the optimum pH, the rate of reaction decreases; some enzymes may become inactive.
What happens to enzymes at extreme pH levels?
High temperatures or extremes of pH change the shape of the active site, preventing the substrate from fitting.
