10 Questions
What are enzymes?
Protein catalysts
What is the folded shape of a protein chain that gives it its function?
Tertiary structure
What are the chemicals involved in a reaction that temporarily combine with enzymes?
Substrates
What is the part of the enzyme where the substrate binds called?
Active site
According to the lock and key model, why are enzymes highly specific to their substrates?
Specific complementary geometric shapes
What term is used for the combination of an enzyme and a substrate?
Enzyme-substrate complex
Why are enzymes considered biological catalysts?
For speeding up chemical reactions in living organisms
In the induced fit model, why do enzymes change shape upon binding to their substrates?
To fit precisely into the substrate's shape
What characteristic makes enzymes unique compared to other catalysts?
They specifically speed up chemical reactions
What determines an enzyme's ability to bind with a substrate?
Enzyme's shape
Study Notes
Enzymes
- Enzymes are protein catalysts that speed up chemical reactions necessary for life.
- Enzymes are a type of protein, made up of a long chain of amino acids.
- The amino acid chain is folded into a precise shape, giving the protein its function.
Enzyme Action
- Enzymes temporarily combine with the chemicals involved in a reaction, known as the substrate.
- The combination of enzyme and substrate is called the enzyme-substrate complex.
- When the enzyme and substrate combine, the substrate is changed to a different chemical, called the product.
- The enzyme is not consumed or altered by the reaction.
Lock & Key Model
- The part of the enzyme where the substrate binds is called the active site.
- Enzymes are highly specific and will only bind one type of substrate.
- The lock and key model suggests that the enzyme and substrate have specific complementary geometric shapes that fit exactly into one another.
Induced Fit Model
- The induced fit model is an alternative to the lock and key model, suggesting that the enzyme's active site changes shape to fit the substrate.
Explore the role of enzymes as protein catalysts that accelerate essential chemical reactions in living organisms. Learn about the structure of proteins and how enzymes speed up reactions without being consumed. Discover the significance of enzymes in biological processes.
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