Difference between revisions of "Enzyme"

Revision as of 11:53, 5 November 2018

Enzymes are large proteins that can act as a catalyst for chemical reactions or be used to break down large molecules into smaller ones.

Organisms have a number of different enzymes that control the chemical reactions that take place inside the cytoplasm.

Digestive enzymes are used to break down large insoluble food molecules into small soluble molecules.

The chemicals that an enzyme affects are called substrates.

Enzymes have an area called an active site which is where the enzyme interacts with the substrate.


This diagram shows an enzyme, substrate and the active site of the enzyme.

Enzymes can be denatured if the temperatures are too high or the pH is too extreme. Different enzymes have a different optimum temperature and optimum pH.

Enzymes have an optimum pH at which they work best. If the pH is far from this optimum value the enzyme will denature.


This graph shows the optimum pH for amylase.

If the pH goes above 11 or below 2.5 all of the amylase enzymes will be denatured.

Enzymes have an optimum temperature at which they work best. If the temperature is far above this optimum value the enzyme will denature. If the temperature is far lower the rate of reaction slows down due to the number of particle collisions being lower at lower temperatures.


This graph shows the optimum temperature for many enzymes in the human body.

If the temperature goes above 45 all of the enzymes will be denatured.

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 : [[Organism]]s have a number of different [[enzyme]]s that control the [[Chemical Reaction|chemical reactions]] that take place inside the [[cytoplasm]].
 : [[Digestive Enzyme|Digestive '''enzymes''']] are used to break down large insoluble food [[molecule]]s into small [[soluble]] [[molecule]]s.
+: The [[chemical]]s that an [[enzyme]] affects are called [[Substrate (Biology)|substrates]].
+: [[Enzyme]]s have an area called an [[Active Site|active site]] which is where the [[enzyme]] interacts with the [[substrate]].
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+|[[File:EnzymeDiagram.png|center|400px]]
+|-
+| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |This [[diagram]] shows an [[enzyme]], [[Substrate (Biology)|substrate]] and the [[Active Site|active site]] of the [[enzyme]].
+|}
+===Denaturation===
 : [[Enzyme]]s can be [[denature]]d if the [[temperature]]s are too high or the [[pH]] is too extreme. Different [[enzyme]]s have a different [[Optimum|optimum]] [[temperature]] and [[Optimum|optimum]] [[pH]].