Enzymes

Enzymes

• Enzymes - A protein that acts as a biological catalyst, speeding up biochemical reactions and is not used up.

Importance of enzymes:

• Helps with reaction rate, necessary to sustain life.
• Some enzymes join small chemical substances to make them into new substances.
• Some enzymes break down large chemical substances to smaller chemical substances.

The substrate needs to be complementary (match) to the enzyme's active site, so that they can bind into the active site. Only then, enzyme substrates can be formed.

Factors that affect enzyme activity: temperature, pH

As temperature/pH increases, enzyme activity will increase. Enzymes will collide more and kinetic energy will increase. Frequency of effective collisions increases.

At its optimum temperature/pH, enzyme activity will be at its maximum.

When it surpasses the optimum temperature/pH, it will denature. The shape of the active site will change and the substrate will no longer bind with the active site. No products will form.