Enzymes

Front

What are enzymes?

Back

Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms. They are primarily made of proteins.

Front

What is the main function of an enzyme?

Back

The main function of an enzyme is to speed up reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur.

Front

What is a substrate in the context of enzymes?

Back

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

Front

What is the active site of an enzyme?

Back

The active site is the specific region of an enzyme where the substrate binds and the reaction occurs.

Front

What happens to enzymes at low temperatures?

Back

At low temperatures, enzymes slow down, which can reduce the rate of reactions.

Front

What happens to enzymes at high temperatures?

Back

At high temperatures, enzymes can denature, meaning their structure is altered and they can no longer function properly.

Front

What is enzyme specificity?

Back

Enzyme specificity refers to the ability of an enzyme to choose exact substrates from a group of similar chemical molecules.

Front

What is the role of cofactors in enzyme activity?

Back

Cofactors are non-protein molecules that assist enzymes in catalyzing reactions, often by helping to stabilize the enzyme-substrate complex.

Front

What is the difference between competitive and non-competitive inhibition?

Back

Competitive inhibition occurs when an inhibitor competes with the substrate for the active site, while non-competitive inhibition occurs when an inhibitor binds to a different part of the enzyme, altering its function.

Front

What is the effect of pH on enzyme activity?

Back

Each enzyme has an optimal pH range in which it functions best; deviations from this range can lead to decreased activity or denaturation.