Proteins and Enzymes Flashcards

Enzymes

• Enzymes lower activation energy, accelerating biochemical reactions in living cells.
• Optimal enzyme activity occurs at a specific pH level, implying pH sensitivity.
• Temperature changes can affect enzyme functionality, contrary to some beliefs.
• Enzymes are classified as proteins and function as organic catalysts.
• Each enzyme interacts with a specific reactant known as a substrate.
• Enzyme names typically end with the suffix "ase," indicating their function.
• Induced fit mechanism describes the interaction process of enzymes and substrates.
• Once an enzyme breaks down a protein, it reverts to its original shape for further reactions.
• Enzyme inhibitors bind to enzymes, reducing their catalytic activity.
• Enzymes exhibit high specificity, working uniquely with specific substrates due to shape compatibility.
• Pepsin is an enzyme particularly active in the acidic environment of the stomach.
• Denaturation refers to the loss of enzyme function due to extreme heat.

Proteins

• Proteins serve as a primary energy source and are crucial for hormone production, transport, and storage of molecules.
• Composed of elements: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and sometimes sulfur.
• Amino acids act as the monomers that combine to form proteins, with 20 distinct types identified.
• The unique shape of a protein is critical as it determines the protein's function.
• Four levels of protein structure:
  • Primary: sequence and order of amino acids.
  • Secondary: regular patterns like coils or folds in the polypeptide chain.
  • Tertiary: overall three-dimensional conformation of the polypeptide.
  • Quaternary: the assembly of multiple polypeptide subunits.
• Disulfide bridges, formed by covalent bonds between thiol groups, contribute to protein structure stability.
• The primary structure's importance lies in its influence on how a polypeptide chain will fold, affecting the higher levels of protein structure.