Enzyme Vocabulary

Front

What is the specific area of an enzyme where a substrate binds and a chemical reaction occurs?

Back

Active site

Front

What are proteins that reduce the amount of energy needed to start biochemical reactions within living cells?

Back

Enzymes

Front

What is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed or changed in the process?

Back

Catalyst

Front

What are large molecules created from DNA that are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs?

Back

Proteins

Front

What is the ability of an enzyme to choose or recognize an exact substrate?

Back

Specificity

Front

What term describes the process by which an enzyme and substrate interact to form a product?

Back

Enzyme-substrate complex

Front

What is the term for the maximum rate of reaction that an enzyme can achieve?

Back

Vmax

Front

What is the effect of temperature on enzyme activity?

Back

Enzyme activity typically increases with temperature up to an optimal point, after which it decreases due to denaturation.

Front

What is the role of cofactors in enzyme activity?

Back

Cofactors are non-protein molecules that assist enzymes in catalyzing reactions.

Front

What is the term for the concentration of substrate at which an enzyme operates at half its maximum velocity?

Back

Km (Michaelis constant)