Difference between revisions of "Enzyme"

Revision as of 09:03, 5 June 2019

An enzyme is a biological molecule which can speed up a reaction or 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.

The active site is shaped to fit with only one substrate so enzymes all have specific roles in an organism.


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

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.

The active site is shaped to fit with only one substrate so enzymes all have specific roles in an organism.

The fact that certain enzymes only work on certain substrates is explained by the Lock and Key Model.


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.

When an enzyme is denatured it changes shape so that the substrate will no longer fit the active site.


This diagram shows an enzyme before and after denaturation.

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 27: / Line 27: @@
 : [[Enzyme]]s have an area called an [[Active Site|active site]] which is where the [[enzyme]] interacts with the [[Substrate (Biology)|substrate]].
 : The [[Active Site|active site]] is shaped to fit with only one [[Substrate (Biology)|substrate]] so [[enzyme]]s all have specific roles in an [[organism]].
+: The fact that certain [[enzyme]]s only work on certain [[Substrate (Biology)|substrates]] is explained by the [[Lock and Key Model]].
 {| class="wikitable"