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Ch-5 Enzymes

Enzymes are biological catalysts that increase the rate of chemical reactions in organisms and are necessary to sustain life. They work by binding specifically to substrates in their active sites, forming enzyme-substrate complexes where the reaction occurs. Both temperature and pH can impact enzyme activity by causing enzymes to denature if conditions deviate far from their optimum levels. Higher temperatures generally increase reaction rates but can denature enzymes above 50 degrees Celsius. Lower temperatures reduce reaction rates without denaturing enzymes. Optimum pH levels vary between enzymes depending on where they function in the body.

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23 views4 pages

Ch-5 Enzymes

Enzymes are biological catalysts that increase the rate of chemical reactions in organisms and are necessary to sustain life. They work by binding specifically to substrates in their active sites, forming enzyme-substrate complexes where the reaction occurs. Both temperature and pH can impact enzyme activity by causing enzymes to denature if conditions deviate far from their optimum levels. Higher temperatures generally increase reaction rates but can denature enzymes above 50 degrees Celsius. Lower temperatures reduce reaction rates without denaturing enzymes. Optimum pH levels vary between enzymes depending on where they function in the body.

Uploaded by

Mahamudul Hassan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ch-5 Enzymes

Enzymes
A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of chemical reaction and is not changed
by the reaction itself.

An enzyme is a biological catalyst that catalyzes many important reactions inside an


organism (such as respiration) and therefore necessary to sustain life.

How enzymes work is more easily shown through a diagram. Take a look below:

Firstly, a substrate is a substance that an enzyme acts on. It is important to understand


that enzymes are very specific, and the reason for their specificity lies in their active sites
– a region of an enzyme that binds to a particular substrate. The shape of the active site of
an enzyme is complementary to only one specific substrate.

As demonstrated in the diagram, the green substrate has a shape that pairs impeccably
with the shape enzyme’s active site. As the enzyme binds with the substrate, an enzyme-
substrate complex is formed. The reaction then occurs on the enzyme and the enzyme-
product complex is formed. The products eventually leave the enzyme.

Prepared by Mahmudul
Enzyme activity VS Temperature & pH
There are certain factors that can impact enzyme activity. The two of which CIE wants you
to know is temperature and pH. But before getting into the details, you need to know that
all enzymes have an optimum temperature and an optimum pH. These are certain
temperatures or pH in which a particular enzyme work best in, and it can vary between
different enzymes.

For any given enzyme, if the conditions stray too far from the optimum, then denaturation
can occur. This is when extreme non-ideal conditions (i.e. high temperatures or very
low/high pH) causes chemical bonds in the enzymes to break apart. This results in the
change in shape of the enzyme’s active site. Remember, the active site has a very special
shape and it fits only one specific type (and shape) of substrate. An alteration in active
site will therefore cause the enzyme to lose function.

Temperature and enzyme activity

Low temperatures reduce the rate of chemical reactions in general. This is because
molecules need to collide with one another and have enough energy for a reaction to occur.
In low temperatures, molecules are traveling at lower speeds (less energy) and therefore
the rate of successful collisions are lower. Moreover, even when collisions do occur, the
molecules may have insufficient kinetic energies to begin with, and therefore the reaction
may not occur. Enzyme activity is therefore low in low temperatures. It is important to
note however, that low temperatures do not denature enzymes.

Higher temperatures generally increase the rate of chemical reactions. Molecules are
faster and have more kinetic energy. This means that rate of successful molecular
collisions are higher,and most molecules will have sufficient energy required for the
reaction. However, temperatures that are far beyond the optimum temperature of the
enzymes can start to denature it, and reduce enzyme activity as a result. Most enzymes
have an optimum temperature of approximately 37 degrees in the human body, and start
getting denatured at above 50 degrees.

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pH and enzyme activity

The optimum pH of an enzyme can vary. Pepsin is an enzyme found in the stomach’s acidic
conditions and therefore made to work best in a pH of approximately 2. Amylase on the
other hand, is found in saliva (more neutral conditions) and therefore has an optimum pH
of 7. Very high or very low pH’s can denature these enzymes if it deviates too much from
their optimum.

Prepared by Mahmudul
Prepared by Mahmudul

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