Introduction to Enzymes

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What are enzymes?

Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms.

What is the active site of an enzyme?

The active site is the region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

How do enzymes work at a molecular level?

Enzymes lower the activation energy needed for a chemical reaction to occur, thereby increasing the rate of the reaction.

Are enzymes used up in a reaction?

No, enzymes are not consumed in the reaction; they are recycled to catalyze additional reactions.

What is enzyme specificity?

Enzyme specificity refers to the tendency of an enzyme to catalyze only one particular reaction or a set of closely related reactions.

Can enzymes function outside living cells?

Yes, enzymes can function outside living cells, as they can catalyze reactions in vitro.

What is substrate concentration in relation to enzymes?

Substrate concentration is the amount of substrate present that can be turned into a product by enzymes.

What happens when a substrate enters an enzyme’s active site?

The enzyme undergoes a conformational change to form an enzyme-substrate complex, facilitating the reaction.

What is the enzyme-substrate complex?

It is a temporary complex formed when an enzyme binds to its substrate molecule(s).

Give an example of an enzyme and its substrate.

An example is the enzyme amylase, which acts on the substrate starch.