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Enzyme Notes

Enzymes are protein molecules that act as biological catalysts, speeding up chemical reactions in living organisms. They work by binding to a substrate molecule in a "lock and key" mechanism. The active site of the enzyme binds only the correct substrate. This forms an enzyme-substrate complex where the reaction takes place. Enzymes are specific, remain unchanged after reactions, and function best at certain temperatures and pH levels. The digestive system contains enzymes like amylase, lipase, and proteases that break down carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins into smaller molecules in different parts of the digestive tract.

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80 views3 pages

Enzyme Notes

Enzymes are protein molecules that act as biological catalysts, speeding up chemical reactions in living organisms. They work by binding to a substrate molecule in a "lock and key" mechanism. The active site of the enzyme binds only the correct substrate. This forms an enzyme-substrate complex where the reaction takes place. Enzymes are specific, remain unchanged after reactions, and function best at certain temperatures and pH levels. The digestive system contains enzymes like amylase, lipase, and proteases that break down carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins into smaller molecules in different parts of the digestive tract.

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Levon Staff
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General Biology 10 C/SL/G

Notes on Enzymes
Monday, April 16, and Wednesday, April 18, 2018
● Catalysts are substances that speed chemical reactions and remain unchanged at the end
of the reaction. Enzymes are biological catalysts that are made by cells to speed up
chemical reactions in the body.

● Enzymes catalyse reactions that would otherwise take too long, thus enabling us to
survive, e.g. without enzymes to help us digest our food we would not have enough
energy from respiration to conduct daily activities.
How enzymes work

● Enzymes are protein molecules. They have the ability to fold into many different shapes.
Each enzyme molecule has a shape that makes it suitable for catalysing one (1) reaction.

● Only the substrate molecule with a shape that fits into the enzyme will take part in the
reaction catalyzed by the enzyme. This model of enzyme activity is known as the “lock
and key”. The substrate (the key) must have a shape that fits exactly into the active site
(keyhole) of the enzyme (the lock).

● When the enzyme and substrate combine at the active site an enzyme-substrate
complex is formed.

● The substrate is the reactant in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The portion of the molecule
that is responsible for the catalytic action of the enzyme is the active site. 

Figure 1 Enzyme, Substrate and Active Site

Figure 2 Lock and key mechanism of enzyme action.


Properties of enzymes

● Most enzymes work inside cells, but those involved in chemical digestion works outside
the cell. Properties include:
1. They are all proteins made by cells, which speed up the rate of chemical reactions
in living organisms.

2. Enzymes are specific; each enzyme catalyzes only one reaction.

3. Enzymes remain chemically unchanged at the end of a reaction.

4. Enzymes reduce the energy needed for molecules to react together.

Prepared by L. McCalla
2018.
5. Only a small number of enzyme molecules are needed to catalyze many reactions
over a period of time. Enzymes break down large quantities of the substrate.

6. Their activity is affected by temperature. Enzymes work best at a specific


temperature. E.g. in humans, most enzymes work around 35-37°C. The optimum
temperature (37°C) is where the rate of reaction is fastest.

7. Their activity is affected by pH. Each enzyme functions best at a particular pH


range. E.g. Pepsin work best at pH 2.

8. Enzymes are denatured or destroyed at high temperatures and by boiling (50°C


and above).

9. Enzymes are inactive at low (cold) temperatures. However, thermal algae and
bacteria are an exception. Their enzymes remain functional even at 80°C.
Enzymes of seeds and spores are also not denatured at 60°— 70°C.

10. Enzymes are inhibited by poisons.


Enzymes in the digestive system

● There are three (3) main types of enzymes involved in chemical digestion.
Crabohydrases that break down carbohydrates to glucose, proteases that break down
proteins to amino acids and lipases that break down lipids to fatty acids and glycerol.

TABLE 1: TYPES OF ENZYMES, SITE OF PRODUCTION AND ACTION

Types of Name of Site of Reaction catalyzed by


Site of production
enzyme enzyme action enzymes
Salivary glands Mouth
Amylase Small Starch to maltose.
Pancreas
intestine
Sucrose to glucose and
Carbohydrase Sucrase
fructose
Wall of the small Small
Lactose to glucose to
Lactase intestine intestine
galactose
Maltase Maltose to glucose
Pepsin Stomach wall Stomach Protein to peptides
Small Polypeptide to shorter
Trypsin Pancreas
Protease intestine peptides
Wall of the small Small
Peptidases Peptide to amino acids
intestine intestine
Small Fats to fatty acids and
Lipase Lipase Pancreas
intestine glycerol

TABLE 2: ENZYMES, SUBSTRATE AND PRODUCT/S

Enzyme Substrate Product/s


Salivary amylase Starch Maltose
Pepsin Protein Polypeptides
Trypsin Polypeptides Peptides
Pancreatic amylase Starch Maltose
Lipase Lipids (triglycerides) Fatty acids and glycerol
Sucrase Sucrose Glucose and fructose
Maltase Maltose Glucose
Lactase Lactose (milk sugar) Glucose and galactose
Peptidases Peptides Amino acids

Prepared by L. McCalla
2018.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT ENZYMES

1. Temperature
2. pH
3. The concentration of the substrate
4. The concentration of the enzyme
5. Inhibitors e.g. poisons such as cyanide

Prepared by L. McCalla
2018.

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