1) Describe why Enzymes are important in all living organisms
- Enzymes are proteins that act as biological catalysts.
- They are necessary to all living organisms as they maintain the reaction speed of all metabolic reactions at a rate that can sustain life.
2) Explain enzyme action
- Each enzymes contain an active site, which is a sequence of amino acids with a specific 3-D shape.
- This shape is complementary to a specific substrate.
- The substrate enters the active site to form an enzyme-substrate complex.
- The substrate is broken down and the product is released.
- The enzyme can then bind to another substrate molecule.
source: prenhall
Enzyme actions can be for:
- Catabolic reaction: molecules are broken down.
- Anabolic reaction: molecules are combined.
3) Explain the Specificity of enzymes
- The enzyme has a shape called the active site, which exactly fits the substances on which it acts.
- The shape of the active site of the enzyme molecule and the substrate molecules are complementary.
4) Explain the Effect of changes in Temperature on enzymes activities
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source: creative-enzymes
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5) Explain the Effect of changes in pH on enzymes activities
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source: creative-enzymes
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6) Enzymes and their Uses
Seeds to germinate:
Biological washing powders:
Food industry:
Seeds to germinate:
- The enzymes turn insoluble food stores to soluble molecules.
Biological washing powders:
- Enzymes are added to washing powders to help remove stains for example: lipase for lipids from fatty foods and greasy fingerprints.
- Protease for proteins from blood stains.
Food industry:
- Isomerase converts glucose to fructose which is sweeter, so less is needed to give a sweet taste.
- Pectinase helps break down cell walls in fruit juice production so it increases yield, lowers viscosity and reduces cloudiness.