Enzyme Reading affect those reactions which, given sufficient

time and a high enough temperature, would take

YE
4-11 ​ENZYMES ​AS CATALYSTS. ​Cells place even without the enzyme. The enzyme
speeds up ​the reaction, and enables it to take
release energy in the complex but orderly
reactions of cell respiration. This orderliness is e
re place at a lower temperature. It produces these
not accidental. Respiration, like other biological effects by lowering the activation energy needed
functions, operates under the strict control of cell to start the reaction.
regulating agents called enzymes and respiration
4-16 H
​ ow enzymes assist chemical reactions.
coenzymes How do these agents control the
complex chemical traffic of respiration?
If you place a lump of sugar in a flame, it
will ​first melt. It will then turn brown, begin to
smell, and slowly oxidize. Finally it will char.
Unaided, it will not burst into flame. If you put
cigarette ash on the sugar before heating it,
however, it will quickly burn away.
A c​ atalyst ​affects the rate of a chemical
reaction without itself being permanently
changed. A tiny amount of catalyst (like a pinch
of cigarette ash) can speed up a reaction and
enable it to take place at a lower temperature.
Chemists use catalysts extensively. The
cracking of petroleum to make gasoline,
depends on catalysts. So does the hydrogenation
of corn oil and cottonseed oil to produce
vegetable shortening.
Enzymes are biological catalysts. The
reactions of respiration occur outside a cell so
slowly ​that they are not noticeable. Inside a cell,
with enzymes helping, these reactions take place
in fractions of a second. Enzymes, by means of
their catalytic activity, control processes such as
cell respiration.
bs
Enzymes increase the rates and lower the
temperatures of chemical reactions without
themselves being permanently changed. Hence
they are effective in exceedingly small amounts,
and the same enzymes are used repeatedly.
You may already be familiar with the
digestive enzyme pepsin. Unfamiliar enzymes
can be recognized from their names, which
usually end in -ase. For example, lipases digest
fats. Urease produces a chemical change in urea:

D. Enzyme fit only certain substrate molecules

Several thousand enzymes are known. A

cell has at least 1000 different enzymes​. ​Each is
quite specific--that is, it catalyzes no more than
a few similar reactions. For example, urease
affects only urea. Maltase affects only maltose
sugar. Lipases are somewhat less specific, yet
they affect only fats.
An enzyme accelerates a reaction in both
directions. Urease theoretically can synthesize
urea from a water solution of ammonia and
carbon dioxide, as well as hydrolyze it into the
products.

4-13 HOW ENZYMES ACT. ​An enzyme

cannot cause a chemical reaction. It can only
In practice, most biochemical reactions tend to to
go only one way. The preferred​ ​direction is the a
one in which the products contain less energy
and are more stable. bigger smaller
Ammonia and carbon dioxide together
contain less energy than does urea. Therefore, in
the presence of urease enzyme, urea is broken
down into these products rather than synthesized
from them. In the bodv, instead of being formed
directly from ammonia and carbon dioxide, urea
has to be synthesized in more roundabout
fashion.
The ability of an enzyme to affect reactions
depends on its protein nature and on its
molecular size and shape. Like other proteins,
large
enzyme molecules are very large much larger
than the molecules whose reactions they
regulate. The molecules upon which enzymes substrates
work are called ​substrates.
As proteins, enzyme molecules are long and
folded. Bonds formed by hydrogen and sulfur
atoms tie the protein chain together and hold the
folds in place. Folding gives an enzyme
molecule a 3-dimensional shape. 4-19 Enzyme brings together coenzyme and
reacting molecule
Enzyme action is thought to depend on the
surface structure of the folded protein. Certain 4-15 COENZYMES. ​As their name
areas, called ​active sites, fit particular substrates. implies, ​coenzymes ​cooperate with enzymes in
Active sites are the places where reactions take regulating biochemical reactions. ATP, and the
place. electron acceptors in the respiratory cascade, are
Substrate molecules attach to, the enzymes coenzymes.
at the active sites, forming complexes. The The importance of coenzymes seems to
substrate undergoes reactions while in the depend on their doing some necessary job for
complex. The products are released, and the substances undergoing reactions, such as
enzvme molecules are then free to form accepting elections, transferring chemical
additional complexes and catalyze further groups, or storing energy. Enzymes seem to act
reactions. as middlemen, bringing coenzymes and reacting
Enzyme and substrate have been compared substances together. Both enzymes and
to a key and a padlock. The notched area on the coenzymes are essential to life.
key corresponds to the active site on the enzyme Vitamins are vital foods because they
molecule. The enzyme is specific because each supply raw materials for the manufacture of
active site fits onlv one substrate, as a key opens coenzymes. Coenzymes are not proteins. They
only one type of padlock. are much smaller molecules Table 4-20 shows
The key comes out unchanged, and is ready other differences between enzymes and
to open many more padlocks, just as the enzyme coenzymes
can be used again and again. The key serves to
lock or to unlock the padlock, is the enzyme
accelerates a reaction.

4-14 ​FACTORS IN ENZYME ACTION.

Among the chief factors affecting the action
of enzymes are temperature, pH, concentrations
of enzyme or substrate, agitation and enzyme
poisons. Lead, mercury, and cyanide are enzyme
poisons. As proteins, enzymes are easily 4-20 Enzymes and coenzymes compared.
destroyed by other, protein-digesting enzymes.

taken from ​Biology, An Inquiry into the Nature

of Life​, Weinberg.
a
temp
pH
 All About Enzymes:
1. This moth eats nectar, which contains lots of sugar. If you were to
eat this moth, would it taste sweet? Why or why not? (This is to get
you thinking- share your ideas and don’t worry too much about the
broke “right answer.”) the sugar
down no Because
would be used for energy
2. Watch this ​video​. Now that you know about enzymes, what do
enzymes have to do with the reason this moth would not taste
sweet?
The sucrase enzyme
would break down the
sucrose
Do this ​reading ​about enzymes.
(This reading has some challenging vocabulary. Try it. If you would like a version with simpler language, use ​this one.​)

3. Consider the diagram below.

a. Which part is the enzyme? B
b. Which part of it is the substrate? c A
c. Which part is the active site?
H
d. Which part is the coenzyme?
D
e. Which part is the enzyme-substrate complex? E
f. Which part is the reaction product?
g. Which part must be a protein?

rates and lower

4. What is the role of an enzyme? TO Increase the of chemical reactions
the temperatures
5. Where do enzyme reactions take place?
At the active site
6. Explain why an enzyme and substrate are like a key and a lock. Which is which? Why? have
a very the phrase,specific fit theythe
7. Explain "​Enzymes are specific" they is the enzyme
lock is the
They will only workofwith
substrate substrate
a certain type The remains Unchanged
For example lwoacmtaswe.fm
mefse
8. List factors that influence enzyme reactions.

Temperature and pH

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