Concept 1: Enzymes and Biochemical Reactions

Front

What is denaturation in the context of enzymes?

Back

Denaturation is a process in which an enzyme's active site gets deformed and loses its specific shape, rendering it unable to bind to its substrate.

Front

What is the active site of an enzyme?

Back

The active site is a specific region on an enzyme that fits only one substrate, allowing the enzyme to catalyze a reaction.

Front

What does metabolism refer to?

Back

Metabolism refers to all of the chemical reactions within each cell of an organism, including those that break down substances and those that build them up.

Front

What are catalysts?

Back

Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions without being permanently altered in the process.

Front

How does energy change during a chemical reaction?

Back

Breaking bonds requires energy absorption while building bonds releases energy.

Front

What is the role of enzymes in biochemical reactions?

Back

Enzymes act as biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur.

Front

What is activation energy?

Back

Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.

Front

What is a substrate?

Back

A substrate is the reactant molecule upon which an enzyme acts.

Front

What happens to enzymes at high temperatures?

Back

At high temperatures, enzymes can denature, losing their shape and functionality.

Front

What is the difference between anabolic and catabolic reactions?

Back

Anabolic reactions build larger molecules from smaller ones and require energy, while catabolic reactions break down larger molecules into smaller ones and release energy.