Enzymes

Question	Answer
What is an enzyme?	An enzyme is a biological catalyst that interacts with substrate molecules to facilitate chemical reactions.
Properties of enzymes	~Enzymes are globular proteins ~They have a tertiary structure ~Each enzyme catalyses a specific reaction that involves a specific substrate
Lock and Key Hypothesis	The enzyme and substrate collide forming the enzyme substrate complex, allowing the reaction to occur and the products to be released. The substrate has a complementary shape to the enzymes active site meaning they fit together like a key in a lock.
Induced Fit Hypothesis (modified version of lock and key hypothesis)	More recent evidence suggests thats the active site of the enzymes actually changes shape slightly as the substrate enters. initial interactions are weak but these rapidly induce changes in the enzymes tertiary structure which strengthens binding and puts strain on the substrate molecule, lowering the activation energy.
Intracellular enzymes + an example	Intracellular enzymes are enzymes which function inside the cell of which they were formed. An example; found in animal and plant tissues,hydrogen peroxide is a toxic product of metabolic pathways. the enzyme catalase ensures hydrogen peroxide is broken down to oxygen and water quickly, preventing its accumulation.
Extracellular enzymes + an example	Extracellular enzymes are released from the cell they was made in to break down large nutrient molecules into smaller molecules outside.

Resource summary

	Created by molly skinner over 6 years ago