CHAPTER 5 : Metabolism

and Enzymes

1. Metabolism
2. Enzymes
3. Application of Enzymes in
Daily Life
• Two types of metabolism : catabolism and
anabolism.
• Catabolism : process of breaking down complex
substances into simple substances.
• This reaction releases energy.
• Example : breakdown of glucose during cellular
respiration to generate energy.
• Catabolic reactions are as follows:
• Anabolism : the process of synthesising
complex molecules from simple molecules.
• This reaction absorbs energy.
• Example : the formation of glucose during
photosynthesis.
• Anabolic reactions are as follows:
 Biochemical reactions which occur
in cells are called metabolism.

The Role Of Enzymes act as biological

Enzymes In catalysts that regulate all cellular
Organisms reactions.

Enzymes also speed up metabolic

reaction in cell.
 Made up of proteins.

Speed up the rates of chemical reaction

Have specific sites called active sites.

Only a small amount of enzyme is needed.

General Most enzymes need a cofactor to activate

Characteristics the enzyme.
of Enzymes

Enzyme reactions are reversible:

Enzyme
Substrates Products

Enzymes are not destroyed at the end of

reactions (remains unchanged)
Enzyme actions can be inhibited by
inhibitors
 Enzyme nomenclature

Naming of Are formed by adding ‘ase’ at the last

Enzymes name of their substrates.

Example :
Substrate Enzyme
Lactose Lactase
Sucrose Sucrase
Lipid Lipase

Pepsin, trypsin, erepsin and rennin were

named before systematic way of naming
enzymes was created.
 Enzymes are produce by protein
synthesis within cells.

Thus, site for enzyme synthesis is also

located at ribosomes.

DNA carries information for enzyme

Sites of synthesis.
enzyme
synthesis Different sequences of bases in DNA
are codes to make different proteins.

Messenger RNA enters ribosome to

translate codes into a sequence of
amino acids to form a polypeptide.

Polypeptides are modified to form

specific enzymes.
 Intracellular and Extracellular
Enzymes

Extracellular enzymes
Intracellular enzymes
Produced in cell but
Produced and kept in
secreted out of cell to
cell for its own use.
work externally
 Production of
Extracellular Enzymes

Protein is
Protein is Transported wrapped in
Rough endoplasmic
synthesised in vesicles and Golgi apparatus
through reticulum (ER)
ribosomes moves to

Secretory
Enzyme is vesicle Transport vesicle
Outside cell Plasma membrane membrane
released fuses with Golgi
fuses with apparatus and
plasma protein is modified.
membrane
 The Mechanism of Enzyme Action

Lock and Key Hypothesis

Has distinctive
shape that
substrate
compliments its
substrate

active site

Enzyme Enzyme-substrate

products

Enzyme
Understanding lock and key mechanism
VIDEO 1 :

https://youtu.be/EiMBsgNZh-M

VIDEO 2 :

https://youtu.be/pVoytz_3H_s
• Most reactions inside the cell require high activation
energy.
• Activation energy is the energy needed to break the bond
in the substrate molecule before reaction can occur.
• Enzymes function by lowering the activation energy.
• By doing so, the rate of biochemical reactions in the cell is
accelerated.
 Substrate
Temperature
Factors concentration
Affecting
Enzyme
Activity
Enzyme
pH value concentration
 1. Temperature

The rate of enzyme activity

Temperature (ºC)
1. At a low temperature
 the rate of reaction catalysed by enzymes is low.
 When the temperature rises, the kinetic energy of the substrate molecules and
enzymes also increases.
 The frequency of effective collision between the substrate molecules and
enzyme molecules increases
 The rate of reaction between enzymes and substrate molecules increases.
 With every rise in temperature of 10°C, the rate of reaction controlled by the
enzymes will double until it reaches the optimal temperature.

2. At optimal temperature
 the enzyme reaction is at its maximum.
 The optimal temperature for enzyme reactions in the human body is
around 37°C.

3. At temperature higher than the optimal temperature

 The enzyme activity decreases rapidly until it stops at 60°C.
 The enzymes become denatured  the chemical bonds in the enzyme
molecules break at extreme temperatures.
 The enzymes cannot maintain the three-dimensional form as the protein
structure changes.
 The active site of enzymes are destroyed.
 The substrate does not complement the active site of enzymes.
 Experiment Video
https://youtu.be/ylhA84Uyb_A
 2. pH value

The rate of enzyme

activity
Optimal pH of most
Optimal enzymes in human
pH of cells
Optimal pH
pepsin
of trypsin

pH
 All enzymes react most effectively at their optimal pH.
 Most enzymes are most active in the range of between pH 6 and 8.
 Pepsin enzymes in the stomach act at the optimal pH range
of between 1.5 and 2.5.
 Trypsin enzyme in the duodenum works well in an alkaline medium, at
a pH of about 8.5

 The change in pH value changes the charge (ion H+) of the

active site of enzymes and the substrate surface.
 The enzyme-substrate complex cannot be formed.
 When the pH returns to the optimum level, the charge on the active
site will be restored. The enzyme will return to function as normal.
 The extreme change in the pH value will break the structural
chemistry bond and change the active site of enzymes  the
enzyme will denature.
https://youtu.be/0TCjWzr2zBM?t=43
Experiment video
https://youtu.be/aHVcJ1fHYWg
 3. Substrate concentration
Rate of reaction

Substrate concentration

• When substrate concentration increases, effective collisions between the

substrate and enzyme molecules also increases.
• The reaction rate continues to increase until it reaches the maximum level.
• The rate of reaction becomes constant.
• After reaching the maximum level, all active sites of enzymes are saturated
with substrate and are involved in the catalytic reaction.
• At the maximum level, the concentration of enzymes becomes a limiting factor.
• The reaction rate can only increase when the concentration in enzymes
increases.
 4. Enzyme concentration

Rate of reaction

Enzyme
concentration

• When the concentration of enzyme increases, the rate of enzyme reaction will
increase.
• More active sites are available for catalytic action.
• If the concentration of an enzyme is doubled, the amount of substrate
converted to products per unit of time is also doubled (with the condition that
there is an excess supply of substrate).
• At the maximum rate, the concentration of the substrate becomes the limiting
factor. The rate of reaction can only be increased by adding more substrate.
5.3 Application of Enzymes in Daily Life

1. Food Processing industry

a)Meat products
Protease
Tenderises meat

b) Starch products
Amylase
and
Amyloglucoxidase
Change starch to sugar in the making of syrup
Glucose isomerase
Production of high fructose syrup : Glucose is converted into fructose.
Since fructose is much sweeter than glucose, it is widely used in
slimming products as only a small amount are needed.

c) Fish products
Protease
Remove the skin of fish.
d) Dairy products
Lipase
Ripening of cheese.
Lactase
Hydrolyses lactose to glucose
and galactose in the making of
lactose-free milk.
Rennin
Solidifies milk proteins.
e) Alcoholic drinks(beer/wine
making industry)
Zymase
Converts sugar into ethanol.
f) Bread and other
bakery products(baking industry)
Amylase
Converts starch flour into sugar in
the making of bread.
g) Cereal grain products
Cellulase
Breaking down cellulose and
removes seedcoats from cereal
grain.
h) Seaweed products
Cellulase
Extracts agar from seaweed.
2. Leather products
Trypsin
Removal of hair from animal hides.

3. Textile products
Amylase
Removes starch that is used as stiffeners from
fabrics.

4. Medical/Pharmaceutical products
• Pancreatic trypsin - Treats inflammation
• Microbial trypsin - Dissolves blood cells

5. Biological washing powder or detergents

Protease - removes protein stains in clothes
Amylase - removes starch stains in clothes.
Lipase – removes grease stains from clothes