Enzymes and Macromolecules

1b. Students know enzymes are proteins that catalyze(speed up) biochemical reactions without altering(changing)
the reaction equilibrium(how much new chemical you’ve made), and that the activities of enzymes depend on the
temperature, ionic conditions, and the pH of the surroundings.
I. Chemical Reactions (rxn)
A. Atoms/elements or groups of atoms/elements are rearranged into different substances through breaking and
making bonds.
1. Ex: HCl + NaOH  NaCl + H2O

2. ______________ aka _______________: chemicals you start with (left side of arrow)
3. _______________: chemicals you end with (right side of arrow)
a. Ex: HCl + NaOH  NaCl + H2O
Reactants/ Products
Substrates
II. _____________AKA Catalysts
A. are proteins
B. Job: speed up chemical reactions
C. don’t change the “Reaction Equilibrium”
1. Reaction Equilibrium = amount of product made (how much new chemical you’ve made)
2. Ex: If a you had enough substrate/reactant to make 50 grams of product, adding enzymes will NOT
make more, it will only make 50 grams ____________!
D. only work under specific ionic conditions, pH, temperatures,
1. ___________ __________________(ions = different types of salts)
a. Ionic conditions means what ions/salts are present, and in what concentrations
b. Ex: water poisoning – drink too much water too fast, body cannot adjust (maintain
homeostasis) that fast, you flush out a bunch of salts through your pee, and then your enzymes
can’t work (changed ionic conditions!), and then you die!
2. _______(acidity)
a. pH: a measure of how acidic or basic something is

b. Ex: stomach enzymes won’t work anywhere else

3. ______________________
a. Ex: refrigerating food keeps it from going bad, tight underwear lower’s mens’ sperm count
 E. enzymes are “substrate specific”
1. one type of enzyme works on one type of molecule (substrate) because only that molecule can bind to
the ____________ ____________
a. it’s like fitting a key into a lock

2. enzymes can only bind to the correct substrate, so they are called “specific”

Released CST Questions:

{1b} Some snake venoms are harmful because they contain enzymes that destroy blood cells or tissues. The damage
caused by such a snakebite could best be slowed by
a. applying ice to the bite area c. inducing vomiting
b. drinking large amounts of water d. increasing blood flow to the area

{1b} There are many different enzymes located in the cytoplasm of a single cell. How is a specific enzyme able to
catalyze a specific reaction?
a. different enzymes are synthesized in specific areas of the cytoplasm
b. most enzymes can catalyze many different reactions
c. an enzyme binds to a specific substrate (reactant) for the reaction catalyzed
d. enzymes are transported to specific substrates (reactants) by ribosomes

1h. Students know macromolecules in cells and organisms are synthesized(made) from smaller molecules bonded
together.
IV. Four major biological ____________________________(big molecules)

A. _______________________AKA Polysaccharides (poly = many, saccharide = sugar)

1.building blocks: many sugar molecules (monomers) linked together

B. ______________(oil, fats)
1. building blocks: made up of chains of C with H bonded to them
2. NOTE! Lipids are non-polar aka hydrophobic = don’t mix with water, do mix with oil
 C. ________________
1. building blocks: chains of amino acids,
folded and twisted into a 3-D structure
2. 3-D shape allows proteins to do their job
a. change the temperature, pH, or ionic
conditions, and you change their shape/ability
to do their job!
Ex: Change the temp, pH, or ionic conditions
on enzymes and they don’t work anymore!

D. _________________ __________ (DNA and RNA)

1. building blocks: single or double strands of nucleotides (sugar + phosphate + base)

OR

V. All life is “__________________ based”

A. each of those 4 macromolecules has a carbon “skeleton”
1. anywhere there is a corner/angle in one of those diagrams, it represents a carbon.

Released CST Questions

[1h] Which of the following is not a correct pairing of Macromolecule and Monomer?
a. lipids, chains of carbon with hydrogen c. proteins, nucleic acids
b. DNA, nucleotides d. carbohydrates, monosaccharides

CST Review Questions

1. [Stnd ____ ]Hydrogen (H), Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N) are all examples of what?

2. [Stnd ____ ] What 2 words both mean “something that speeds up chemical reactions?”
3. [Stnd: ____ ] Each enzyme is designed to work under a very specific set of conditions which include the
following 3 things:

4. [Stnd: ____ ] Explain why drinking too much water too fast could kill you.

5. [Stnd: ____ ] Draw a graph describing an enzyme designed to work in your stomach.

6. [Stnd: ____ ] Label the enzymes, substrate/reactant, product, and the active site

7. [Stnd ____ ]People who are lactose intolerant lack the enzymes to break down the sugar in milk called lactose.
They have many enzymes in their stomachs that can break down other substances like lipids, and proteins – why
can’t these enzymes just break down the lactose too?

8. [Stnd ____ ]All life requires what particular atom/element?

9. [Stnd ____ ]What are the building blocks of protein?

10. [Stnd ____ ] What is a protein’s final shape, and what happens if this shape is messed up by temperature, pH, or
ionic conditions?

11. [Stnd ____ ]What are the building blocks of DNA or RNA (your “nucleic acids”)?

12. [Stnd ____ ] Fill in the table below

Macromolecule Monomer
 Vocabulary Review
Words: Atom, ion, chemical reaction, substrate, product, catalyst/enzyme, substrate, active site,
macromolecule, carbohydrate, lipid, protein, nucleic acid

__________________: anything that speeds up chemical reactions

__________________: built from linked sugars, AKA polysaccharides

__________________: building blocks of all matter, even air

__________________: technical term for salts

__________________: making a new substance by rearranging atoms

__________________: the new substance(s) you’ve made

__________________: AKA reactants, which bind to the enzyme in the beginning

__________________: the place on the enzyme where the substrate binds

__________________: built from nucleotides, make up your DNA and RNA

__________________: built from chains of C and H, don’t mix with water

__________________: built from amino acids, folds into a 3-D shape to do its job

__________________: big molecule like Carbohydrates/Polysaccharides, Lipids, Proteins, or Nucleic Acids

 ANSWER KEYS

Enzymes and Macromolecules – NOTES ANSWER KEY

1b. Students know enzymes are proteins that catalyze(speed up) biochemical reactions without altering(changing)
the reaction equilibrium(how much new chemical you’ve made), and that the activities of enzymes depend on the
temperature, ionic conditions, and the pH of the surroundings.
I. Chemical Reactions (rxn)
A. Atoms/elements or groups of atoms/elements are rearranged into different substances through breaking and
making bonds.
1. Ex: HCl + NaOH  NaCl + H2O

2. reactants aka substrates: chemicals you start with (left side of arrow)
3.products: chemicals you end with (right side of arrow)
a. Ex: HCl + NaOH  NaCl + H2O
Reactants/ Products
Substrates
II. Enzymes AKA Catalysts
A. are proteins
B. Job: speed up chemical reactions (increase the rate of reaction)
C. don’t change the “Reaction Equilibrium”
1. Reaction Equilibrium = amount of product made (how much new chemical you’ve made)
2. Ex: If a you had enough substrate/reactant to make 50 grams of product, adding enzymes will NOT
make more, it will only make 50 grams faster!
D. only work under specific ionic conditions, pH, temperatures,
1. Ionic Conditions (ions = different types of salts)
a. Ionic conditions means what ions/salts are present, and in what concentrations
b. Ex: water poisoning – drink too much water too fast, body cannot adjust (maintain
homeostasis) that fast, you flush out a bunch of salts through your pee, and then your enzymes
can’t work (changed ionic conditions!), and then you die!
2. pH (acidity)
a. pH: a measure of how acidic or basic something is

b. Ex: stomach enzymes won’t work anywhere else

3. Temperature
a. Ex: refrigerating food keeps it from going bad, tight underwear lowers mens’ sperm count

E. enzymes are “substrate specific”

 1. one type of enzyme works on one type of molecule (substrate) because only that molecule can bind to
the Active Site
a. it’s like fitting a key into a lock

2. enzymes can only bind to the correct substrate, so they are called “specific”

Released CST Questions:

{1b} Some snake venoms are harmful because they contain enzymes that destroy blood cells or tissues. The damage
caused by such a snakebite could best be slowed by
a. applying ice to the bite area c. inducing vomiting
b. drinking large amounts of water d. increasing blood flow to the area

{1b} There are many different enzymes located in the cytoplasm of a single cell. How is a specific enzyme able to
catalyze a specific reaction?
a. different enzymes are synthesized in specific areas of the cytoplasm
b. most enzymes can catalyze many different reactions
c. an enzyme binds to a specific substrate (reactant) for the reaction catalyzed
d. enzymes are transported to specific substrates (reactants) by ribosomes

1h. Students know macromolecules in cells and organisms are synthesized(made) from smaller molecules bonded
together.
IV. Four major biological macromolecules (big molecules)

A. Carbohydrates AKA Polysaccharides (poly = many, saccharide = sugar)

1.building blocks: many sugar molecules (monomers) linked together

B. Lipids (oil, fats)

1. building blocks: made up of chains of C with H bonded to them
2. NOTE! Lipids are non-polar aka hydrophobic = don’t mix with water, do mix with oil
 C. Proteins
1. building blocks: chains of amino acids,
folded and twisted into a 3-D structure
2. 3-D shape allows proteins to do their job
a. change the temperature, pH, or ionic
conditions, and you change their shape/ability
to do their job!
Ex: Change the temp, pH, or ionic conditions
on enzymes and they don’t work anymore!

D. Nucleic Acids (DNA and RNA)

1. building blocks: single or double strands of nucleotides

OR

V. All life is “carbon based”

A. each of those 4 macromolecules has a carbon “skeleton”
1. anywhere there is a corner/angle in one of those diagrams, it represents a carbon.

Released CST Questions:

[1h] Which of the following is not a correct pairing of Macromolecule and Monomer?
a. lipids, chains of carbon with hydrogen c. proteins, nucleic acids
b. DNA, nucleotides d. carbohydrates, monosaccharides

CST Review Questions KEY

1. [Stnd __1b__ ]Hydrogen (H), Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N) are all examples of what?
(Something they should already know, and more of a foundation for stnd 1b, than actually part of the standard)
Atoms/Elements
2. [Stnd __1b__ ] What 2 words both mean “something that speeds up chemical reactions?”
Catalyst or Enzyme

3. [Stnd: _1b___ ] Each enzyme is designed to work under a very specific set of conditions which include the
following 3 things:
Temperature, pH, ionic conditions

4. [Stnd: __1b__ ] Explain why drinking too much water too fast could kill you.
Changes the ionic conditions your body’s enzymes are designed to work in. If your enzymes can’t speed up your
chemical reactions, you die.

5. [Stnd: __1b__ ] Draw a graph describing an enzyme designed to work in your stomach.

Similar to this graph from the notes, but with low numbers. Ideally, maximum enzyme
activity would be shown around pH of 2, but this wasn’t specifically taught.

6. [Stnd: _1b___ ] Label the enzymes, substrate/reactant, product, and the active site

7. [Stnd __1b__ ]People who are lactose intolerant lack the enzymes to break down the sugar in milk called lactose.
They have many enzymes in their stomachs that can break down other substances like lipids, and proteins – why
can’t these enzymes just break down the lactose too?
Because enzymes are substrate specific – only the right substrate/reactant fits in the active site of the right enzyme,
like a key fitting into a lock.

8. [Stnd _1h__ ]All life requires what particular atom/element?

Carbon (C)

9. [Stnd _1h___ ]What are the building blocks of protein?

Amino acids

10. [Stnd _1h___ ] What is a protein’s final shape, and what happens if this shape is messed up by temperature, pH,
or ionic conditions?
The chain of amino acids folds into a 3-D shape, which is needed for it to do its job. If you change the shape, the
protein can’t do its job.

11. [Stnd _1h___ ]What are the building blocks of DNA or RNA (your “nucleic acids”)?
nucleotides
 12. [Stnd _1h___ ] Fill in the table below

Macromolecule/ Polymer Monomer

Carbohydrates/Polysaccharides Sugar/monosaccharides
Protein Amino acids
Lipids Chains of C with H bonded to it
Nucleic Acids (DNA) Nucleotides

Vocabulary Review
Words: Atom, electron, ion, chemical reaction, substrate/reactant, product, catalyst/enzyme, substrate, active
site, macromolecule, polymer, carbohydrate, lipid, protein, nucleic acid

_enzyme/catalyst__: anything that speeds up chemical reactions

_carbohydrate_: built from linked sugars, AKA polysaccharides

__atoms__: building blocks of all matter, even air

__ion__: technical term for salts

__chemical reaction__: making a new substance by rearranging atoms

_product_: the new substance(s) you’ve made

_substrate_: AKA reactants, which bind to the enzyme in the beginning

_active site_: the place on the enzyme where the substrate binds

__nucleic acids__: built from nucleotides, make up your DNA and RNA

__lipids__: built from chains of C and H, don’t mix with water

__proteins__: built from amino acids, folds into a 3-D shape to do its job

__macromolecule_: big molecule like Carbohydrates/Polysaccharides, Lipids, Proteins, or Nucleic Acids