CHAPTER 5:

ENZYMES

By Ms. Stephanie B 1
Learning objectives
5.1 Enzymes
Core
1. Describe a catalyst as a substance that increases the rate of a chemical
reaction and is not changed by the reaction
2. Describe enzymes as proteins that are involved in all metabolic
reactions, where they function as biological catalysts
3. Describe why enzymes are important in all living organisms in terms of a
reaction rate necessary to sustain life
4. Describe enzyme action with reference to the shape of the active site of
an enzyme being complementary to its substrate and the formation of
products
5. Investigate and describe the effect of changes in temperature and pH on
enzyme activity with reference to optimum temperature and denaturation
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Learning objectives
5.1 Enzymes
Supplement
6. Explain enzyme action with reference to: active site, enzyme-substrate
complex, substrate and product
7. Explain the specificity of enzymes in terms of the complementary shape
and fit of the active site with the substrate
8. Explain the effect of changes in temperature on enzyme activity in terms
of kinetic energy, shape and fit, frequency of effective collisions and
denaturation
9. Explain the effect of changes in pH on enzyme activity in terms of shape
and fit and denaturation

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Biological catalysts
 Without enzymes, the reactions would take place very slowly, or not at all.
 Enzymes ensure that the rates of metabolic reactions are great enough to
sustain life.
 Enzymes either :

1. Build molecules 2. Breakdown molecules

(synthesis enzymes) (digestive enzymes)

Key Definition

Catalyst- a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction and is

not changed by the reaction
Enzymes- proteins that function as biological catalysts 4
Functions and examples of enzymes
1. Breakdown large molecules into smaller ones inside the
alimentary canal (digestion). A different enzyme is needed for
each kind of food.
✓Starch is digested to the sugar maltose by an enzyme called
amylase.
✓Protein is digested to amino acids by protease.

2. In germinating seeds, enzymes digest the food stores for

the growing seedling.
✓ Seeds contain storage of starch.
✓Amylase is activated when the seed soaks up
water, and breaks down the starch to maltose.
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Functions and examples of enzymes
3. Breakdown of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen by the
enzyme catalase.
✓ Works inside both animals and plants.
✓ This enzyme is necessary to immediately breakdown the
dangerous hydrogen peroxide which is a product of many
chemical reactions in cells.

4. Make large molecules from small ones.

✓ Starch phosphorylase builds starch molecules
from glucose molecules inside plant cells. 6
Naming enzymes
Enzymes are named according to the reactions they catalyse:
• enzymes which catalyse the breakdown of carbohydrates are
called carbohydrases.
• enzymes which catalyse the breakdown of proteins are called
proteases.
• enzymes which catalyse the breakdown of fats (lipids) are
called lipases.
Enzymes can be given more specific names:
• The carbohydrase that breaks down starch: amylase.
• The enzyme that breaks down maltose : maltase.
• The enzyme that breaks down sucrose : sucrase.
Name the enzymes that catalyse the reactions below:

starch amylase maltose

protein protease amino acids

maltose maltase glucose

lipids fatty acids + glycerol

lipase

hydrogen
catalase hydrogen + water
peroxide
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Biological catalysts-The active site
• Active site = the part of an enzyme that a substrate molecule fits into
• Substrate = the substance on which an enzyme acts upon
• Product = the substance which is made by the reaction

Each enzyme
can only act on
a particular kind
of substrate
e.g. amylase
cannot break
down protein
molecules,
because they
do not fit into its
active site
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How enzymes work
 Eachtype of enzyme has
molecules with a very specific
shape.
 Theenzyme molecule has a
‘dent’ in it, called the active site.
 An enzyme works by allowing a
molecule of its substrate to fit into
the active site, where the
substrate and the enzyme bind
together. For this to happen, the
fit has to be perfect.
 Theshape of the enzyme and the
shape of the substrate are
complementary to one another. 10
How enzymes work
 Whenthe substrate is in the active site and bound to the enzyme, the
enzyme makes the substrate change into a new substance called the
product. Then the product breaks away from the enzyme.
 Nowthe enzyme is free, and ready to bind with another substrate
molecule.

The short-lived
structure that forms
as the substrate slots
into the enzyme’s Enzyme-
active site substrate
complex
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Properties of enzymes
1. All enzymes are proteins .
2. Enzymes are made inactive by high temperature .
• Enzymes are protein molecules. Thus, can be damaged by heat.
3. Enzymes work best at a particular temperature.
• Enzymes in the human body work best at 37 ºC .
4. Enzymes work best at a particular pH.
5. Enzymes are catalysts .
• Enzymes are not changed in the reaction
• They can be used over and over again, so a small amount of enzyme
can change a lot of substrate into product.
6. Enzymes are specific .
• Each kind of enzyme will only catalyse one kind of chemical reaction.
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Factors that affect enzyme activity
Temperature pH

* Different enzymes
have different optimum
temperatures*

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Explaining how temperature affects enzyme activity
 At 0 °C, the enzyme has no activity.
• At this temperature, molecules have very little
kinetic energy – they are moving only slowly.
• As they are moving only slowly, the substrate
molecules rarely collide with the enzyme. So,
they rarely enter its active site, and very few
substrate molecules are converted to product.
 Asthe temperature increases, the kinetic energy of the enzyme and
substrate molecules increases.
• They move faster and collide with each other more frequently and
with more energy. Effective collisions are more frequent.
• More substrate molecules collide with an active site and are converted
to product. 14
Explaining how temperature affects enzyme activity
 The temperature at which an enzyme works fastest is called its
optimum temperature .
 Astemperature increases above the optimum, the kinetic energy of the
enzyme begins to shake it apart.
• Its molecules begin to lose their shape, so that the active site is no
longer a true complementary shape to the substrate.
• When a substrate molecule collides with an active site, it may not fit.
• It cannot form an enzyme–substrate complex and is not converted to
product. The activity of the enzyme therefore decreases.
• When the temperature increases further, the active site is so out of
shape that the enzyme has completely stopped working. It is
completely denatured . 15
Explaining how temperature affects enzyme activity

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pH and enzyme activity
 The pH of a solution affects the shape of an enzyme.
 Most enzymes are their correct shape at a pH of about 7 - that is, neutral.
 Ifthe pH becomes very acidic or very alkaline, then they are denatured.
• This means that the active site no longer fits the substrate,
• So the enzyme can no longer catalyse its reaction.
 Some enzymes have an optimum pH that is not
neutral:
• For example, there is a protease enzyme in
the human stomach that has an optimum pH
of about 2.
• This is because we have hydrochloric acid in
our stomachs. This protease must be able to
work well in these very acidic conditions.
Explaining how pH affects enzyme activity
 Eachenzyme molecule has a very specific shape, with the active site
being the best fit for the substrate at its optimum pH.
 A pH well above or below the optimum causes the enzyme molecule to
lose its shape (denature), so it can no longer bind with the substrate.

denatured denatured

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Explaining how pH affects enzyme activity

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Let’s answer!
The diagram shows an enzyme and a molecule of its substrate, maltose.
The enzyme is able to split a maltose molecule into two glucose molecules.

a. On the diagram, label the active site of the enzyme.

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b. In the space below, draw two new diagrams to show:
i. the enzyme and substrate bound together(enzyme-substrate
complex)
ii. the enzyme and products after the reaction is completed
i. ii.

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Let’s answer!
• The diagram shows an enzyme and a molecule of its substrate, maltose.
The enzyme is able to split a maltose molecule into two glucose
molecules.

Active site

a. On the diagram, label the active site of the enzyme

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b. In the space below, draw two new diagrams to show:
i. the enzyme and substrate bound together(enzyme-substrate
complex)
ii. the enzyme and products after the reaction is completed
i. ii.

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