SAC 2 Test (3A,3B,5A,5B,5C,6A,6B,6C) Flashcards
(47 cards)
Enzyme:
an organic molecule which catalyses a specific reaction
- They bind to a substrate when undergoing an enzyme facilitated reaction
- After an enzyme facilitated reaction, the enzyme is left unchanged
Substrate:
the reactant of a reaction catalyzed by an enzyme
- After a reaction, the substrate forms a product
Active Site:
the part of an enzyme where the substrate binds to
- A pocket like area which is complementary in shape to a substrate
- Must undergo a conformation change to accept the substrate
Enzyme Substrate Complex:
the structure formed when an enzyme and substrate bond together
- To write an enzyme-catalysed reaction:
- The reactant is called the substrate
- Enzyme is written above the arrow
Activation Energy:
the energy required to start a reaction
- All reactions need a minimum amount of energy to energize atoms and molecules into a chemical change - Enzymes work to lower the activation energy threshold allowing reactions to happen quicker
Type of Reactions:
Anabolic Reaction: when two or more smaller molecules join to form a larger molecule
- They are Endergonic: require an input of energy
Catabolic reaction: when a larger molecule is broken down to form two smaller molecules
- They are exergonic: releasing energy
Biochemical pathway/metabolic pathway:
a series of enzyme-catalysed biochemical reactions in which the product of one reaction becomes the substrate of the next reaction
- A chain reaction of enzyme-catalysed reactions - Works like this as enzymes are specific to their substrate and so must work in pathways to get the desired product
Factors affecting Enzyme Functioning
- Enzymes have optimum temperatures and pH levels at which they function best at however in extreme conditions, the enzymes can be denatured
- optimal temperature for enzymes is 36-38 degrees
- optimal pH depends on where in the body the enzymes are - if everything else is kept constant, increasing substrate and enzyme concentrations will increase the rate of reaction up to a certain point
- this will continue until the saturation point is reached at which the enzymes are working at maximal capacity and cannot increase
Denaturation
The disruption of a molecules structure by an external factor
- E.g. heat - As enzymes are proteins, they can be denatured - This process is irreversible, cannot be fixed
What happens to an Enzyme if it is too hot
- If temperature goes beyond optimal, the bonds in an enzymes tertiary and quaternary structures can break down
- This leads to a conformation change in the activation site meaning the substrate can no longer fit
What happens to an enzyme if it is too cold
- If below optimal level, enzymic reactions decrease as the molecules are moving slower and therefore colliding less often
- If too cold, enzymes can show no activity and freeze
Unlike denaturing in heat, frozen enzymes can regain functionality after being reheated
Competitive Inhibition:
the hindrance of an enzyme by blocking the active site and preventing the substrate from binding
- Competitive as this binding directly occupies the active site, preventing a substrate from binding - Must have a complementary shape to bind
Non-competitive inhibition:
the hindrance of an enzyme by binding to an allosteric site and changing the shape of the active site, therefore preventing the substrate binding
Allosteric Site: any other site other than the active site
Coenzyme:
a non-protein organic cofactor that assists enzyme function. They release energy and are recycled during a reaction.
- E.g. ATP, NADH, NADPH
Photosynthesis
The process of capturing light energy to power the production of glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water
6 CO2 + 12 H20 (sunlight)–> C6H12O6 + 6 O2+ 6 H2O
stages:
- light dependent
- Light independent
Light Dependent Stage
first stage of photosynthesis where light energy splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygens.
- Only occurs when light is present
- Occurs in the thylakoid membranes
Inputs
12 H2O
12NADP+
18ADP + Pi
Outputs:
6 O2
12NADPH
18 ATP
Process of Light Dependent Stage
- .
- Inside the thylakoid, light energy excites the electrons in chlorophyll
- The excited electrons move along the proteins in the thylakoid membrane which powers the pumping of H+ into the thylakoid lumen.
- H2O molecules breakdown to 2H+ and one O2, causing the release of electrons into the chlorophyll to replace the others.
- .
- The oxygen is released from the chloroplast which will either diffuse out of the stomata and into the environment or be used in aerobic cellular respiration. - .
- H+ from the water molecules are used to generate the high energy coenzyme NAPDH by attaching to NADP+
- The movement of H+ down the concentration gradient generates the high energy coenzyme ATP
- ATP and NAPDH coenzymes then move on to the light independent stage
Light Independent Stage(Calvin Cycle)
second stage of photosynthesis where carbon dioxide is used to form glucose
- Occurs in the stroma of chloroplast
Inputs
6 CO2
12NADPH
18ATP
Outputs: C6 H12 O6 12NADP+ 18 ADP + Pi H2O
Process of the Light Independent Stage(Calvin Cycle)
- .
- 3 Carbon dioxide molecules enter the Calvin Cycle in the mesophyll cells and undergo initial reactions
- The Carbon from CO2 combines with 3x 5-Carbon Molecule(RuBP), forming 18 carbon molecules
- then splits into 6x 3-Carbon Molecules
- .
- 6 NADPH and 6 ATP molecules are used to turn the 6x 3-PGA carbon molecules into 6x3 G3P molecules by changing the arrangement of the carbon molecules
- NADPH becomes NADP+ and ATP becomes ADP + Pi
- .
- 1x G3P molecule then exits the cycle and is used to create 1 half of the glucose molecule
- The remaining 5x G3P molecules, using 3 ATP molecules are arranged again to form RuBP(15 carbons) beginning the cycle again to create the second G3P molecule to create 1 whole glucose
- .
Some of the oxygen molecules leftover from the breaking of CO2 at the beginning of the cycle combine with H+ from NADPH to create the output water
Thylakoids
A flattened sac-like structure housed inside the
chloroplast.
Each thylakoid is made up of a chlorophyll-containing membrane enclosing a lumen.
Thylakoids are the location of the light-dependent stage of photosynthesis
Stroma
The fluid substance that makes up the interior of
chloroplasts.
It is the site of the light-independent stage of photosynthesis
Chlorophyll
A chemical found in the thylakoids of chloroplasts. It is responsible for absorbing light energy in photosynthesis
Rubisco
a pivotal enzyme involved in initial carbon fixation during the Calvin Cycle/light-independent stage of photosynthesis
- Stands for Ribulose 1,5 Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase - its role is to catalyze the calvin cycle
Factors influencing whether Rubisco binds to CO2 or O2
Temperature:
- At regular temperatures, Rubisco’s affinity for CO2 is greater than for O2
- At higher temperatures, the affinity for O2 is higher, leading to rubisco binding to oxygen more often
Substrate Concentration:
- The more substrate is present, the greater chance it will bind to Rubisco
- Plants try and expose a high concentration of CO2 and a low concentration of O2 to Rubisco - The stomata of the plant regulates this by opening up to allow CO2 to enter while O2 and other water vapor simultaneously diffuse out