Enzymes:

-proteins that function like biological catalysts that speed up the breakdown of proteins by
providing the reaction with an alternate pathway requiring lesser activation energy, without
taking part in the reaction

-almost all metabolic reactions are controlled by enzymes

-without enzymes, these reactions would occur very slowly

Important enzymes:

Enzyme Substrate Product location

Salivary amylase starch maltose mouth

Pancreatic lipase fat Fatty acids, glycerol Duodenum

Protease Protein Amino acids stomach/duodenum

pepsin proteins peptones stomach

maltase maltose glucose Small intestine

sucrase sucrose glucose Small intestine

peptidase Peptides Amino acids Small intestine

polypeptides

carbohydrase Maltose sucrose Fructose glucose Small intestine

lactose galactose

catalase Hydrogen peroxide Water and oxygen Liver cells

Potato cells

phosphorylase1 Glucose molecules Starch molecules Plant cells

Enzyme mechanism:

-works by allowing molecule of substance on which it is acting to fit on it

-shape of substrate and enzyme are complementary to each other
-enzyme has a dent in it called the active site,which is complementary to substrate
-the enzyme and substrate form an enzyme-substrate complex
-only one type of enzyme can break down one type of substrate

1
Not all enzymes break substances down,some help build things up
Enzyme properties:

-all are proteins

-made inactive by high temperature
-work best at optimum temperature and pH
-enzymes are catalysts
-enzymes are specific

Denaturing enzymes:

1.temprature:
-optinum temperature is 37-40c in humans and 28-30c in plants
-a temperature above that makes the enzyme lose it shape,and the active site no longer fits the
with the substrate
-enzyme becomes denatured and will no longer catalyse the reaction

2.pH:
-if pH becomes very acidic or alkaline,eznymes become denatured
-most enzymes require a pH of 7
-enzymes in stomach adapted to a pH of 2 as the stomach has HCL in it to kill bacteria