AP Bio Insta-Review Topic 3.2: Enzyme Catalysis

Front

What is an enzyme?

Back

A protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions in biological systems.

Front

How do enzymes affect activation energy?

Back

Enzymes decrease the activation energy required for a reaction to occur.

Front

What is activation energy?

Back

The minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.

Front

How does a lower activation energy affect reaction rate?

Back

It increases the reaction rate.

Front

What is the relationship between enzymes and reaction rate?

Back

Enzymes increase the reaction rate by lowering activation energy.

Front

What happens to the Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) when an enzyme is present?

Back

The change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG) stays the same.

Front

What is the role of the active site in an enzyme?

Back

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

Front

What is a substrate in the context of enzyme activity?

Back

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

Front

What is enzyme specificity?

Back

Enzyme specificity refers to the ability of an enzyme to select and catalyze a specific substrate.

Front

What factors can affect enzyme activity?

Back

Factors include temperature, pH, substrate concentration, and the presence of inhibitors or activators.