Enzymes

Status

Level of Understanding

Test Grade

Q. What is a catalyst?
A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without undergoing any
chemical change.

Q. What are enzymes?

Proteins functioning as biological catalysts.

Starch → Sugar maltose (Amylase)

Protein → Amino acids (Protease)

Catalase is an enzyme that speeds up the breakdown of a substance.

Q. Explain the effect of enzymes in germinating seeds.

Seed soaks up water, amylase activated and breaks down starch to maltose.
Maltose transported to embryo in seed which is used to provide energy for growth
and to provide glucose molecules to make cellulose molecules for the cell walls.

Enzymes 1
 Break down carbohydrates → Carbohydrases

Proteins → Lipases

Carbohydrate that breaks down starch → amylase

breaks down maltose → maltase

breaks down sucrose → sucrase

Enzyme = lock

Another molecule = key

Q. What is substrate?

Enzymes 2
 The substance present at the beginning of the reaction.

Q. What is product?

The substance made by the reaction.

When a molecule is in the active site, it is split apart by the enzyme.

Q. Explain the properties of enzymes.

All enzymes are proteins

Enzymes are inactive at high temperatures

Enzymes work best at a particular temperature

Enzymes work best at a particular pH

Enzymes are catalysts

Enzymes are specific

Q. What happens to enzymes at higher temperatures

At higher temperatures, there is an increase in kinetic energy therefore making it

more likely that the enzyme bumps into the substrate as well as with more impact.
However, if the temperature increases even higher, the enzyme molecules lose their
shape and the active site does not fit with the substrate. The enzyme is denatured.

Protease - pH 2

Most enzymes are pH 7

Enzymes 3