Chapter 5 - Enzymes

5.1 What Are Enzymes?

5.2 Classification of Enzymes
5.3 Characteristics of Enzymes

Sec 3 Bio 1
Learning Objectives
• Explain enzyme action in terms of the locl and key
hypothesis
• Explain the mode of action of enzymes in terms of
active site, enzyme-substrate complex, lowering of
activation energy and enzyme specificity.
• Investigate and explain the effects of temperature, pH
on the rate of enzyme catalysed reactions.

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5.1 Enzymes are biological catalysts
What are enzymes?
Enzymes are:
 Biological catalysts,
 Protein in nature,
 Catalyze chemical reactions without being
changed at the end of the reaction.

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Enzymes as catalysts
 Enzymes lower the activation energy
of a reaction so that it occurs more
readily.

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 Activation Energy

1 Imagine a chemical reaction

as the process of rolling a huge
stone (reactant) up a hill so that
it rolls down and breaks into
tiny pieces (products).

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 Activation Energy

1 Imagine a chemical reaction

as the process of rolling a huge
stone (reactant) up a hill so that
it rolls down and breaks into
tiny pieces (products).

2 Activation energy is the

energy needed to roll the stone
up the hill.

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 Activation Energy

1 Imagine a chemical reaction

as the process of rolling a huge
stone (reactant) up a hill so that
it rolls down and breaks into
tiny pieces (products). 3 Once over the hill, the rest of
the reaction occurs.

2 Activation energy is the

energy needed to roll the stone
up the hill.

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 Activation Energy

1 Imagine a chemical reaction

as the process of rolling a huge
stone (reactant) up a hill so that
it rolls down and breaks into
tiny pieces (products). 3 Once over the hill, the rest of
the reaction occurs.

2 Activation energy is the

energy needed to roll the stone
up the hill. 4 The stone rolls down and breaks into
tiny pieces (products are formed).

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 Activation Energy

1 Imagine a chemical reaction

as the process of rolling a huge
stone (reactant) up a hill so that
it rolls down and breaks into
tiny pieces (products). 3 Once over the hill, the rest of
the reaction occurs.

2 Activation energy is the

energy needed to roll the stone
up the hill. 4 The stone rolls down and breaks into
tiny pieces (products are formed).

5 The energy needed to start a chemical

reaction is called activation energy.
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Digestion: An Enzyme-
Catalysed Process
Why do we need to digest our food?
 Starch, proteins and fats are very large.
 They cannot diffuse across cell membranes
for absorption.
 Therefore, they must be digested into
 Simpler, smaller and soluble substances.
 Diffusible across cell membranes.

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Other applications of Enzymes
 Anabolic processes
 Eg. Synthesis of proteins from amino acids.
 Catabolic processes
 Eg. Oxidation of glucose (tissue respiration)
 Catalase production
 Catalase catalyses the breakdown of toxic hydrogen
peroxide into harmless water and oxygen.
 Catalase is abundant in liver and blood.

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5.2 Classification of Enzymes
Enzymes are classified
 accordingto the chemical reaction
involved in:
 Enzymes that catalyse hydrolysis
reactions are called hydrolases.
 Eg
of hydrolases:
Carbohydrases, proteases, lipases.
 Enzymes involved in oxidation of food
as called oxidation-reduction enzymes.
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5.3 Characteristics of Enzymes
 Enzymes alter or speed up the rates
of chemical reaction that occur in a
cell.
 Enzymesare required in minute
amounts.
 Sinceenzymes are not altered in a
chemical reaction, a small amount can
catalyse a huge reaction.

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Enzymes are specific
 Specificityof enzyme is due to its
shape (or surface configuration).
 The substrate will fit into an enzyme,
forming an enzyme-substrate
complex.
 The product will then be released.

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Lock and key hypothesis
What is the ‘lock and key’ hypothesis?
 It is the old view of enzyme specificity, that
there was an exact match between the
active site and the substrate.

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A synthesis reaction

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active sites enzyme molecule
Lock and Key
(the ‘lock’)
Hypothesis
B

substrate molecules
( A and B) can fit
into the active sites

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 Lock and Key Hypothesis
active sites enzyme molecule
(the ‘lock’)

substrate molecules
( A and B) can fit
into the active sites

enzyme-substrate
complex

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 Lock and Key Hypothesis
active sites enzyme molecule
(the ‘lock’)

A
enzyme molecule is free
substrate molecules to take part in another
( A and B) can fit reaction
into the active sites

enzyme-substrate
complex AB

a new substance (product) AB

leaves the active sites
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Induced fit hypothesis
What is induced fit hypothesis?
 shape of the active site adjusts to fit the
substrate.

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Induced fit hypothesis
How did induced fit hypothesis
come about?
 recent imaging technology
demonstrated changes in the 3-D
conformation of enzymes when
interacting with their substrates.

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Effect of temperature
 At low temp:
 Rate of reaction is slow.
 Enzymes are inactive at low temp.

 Every 10oc rise in temp, rate of

reaction increases by double (till it
reaches optimum temp).

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Effect of temperature
 At optimum temp:
 Rate of reaction is the
highest.
 Enzymes are most active.

 Beyond optimum temp:

 Rate of enzyme activity
decreases sharply.
 Enzymes are being
denatured.
 Hydrogen bonds are easily
disrupted by increasing
temperature.

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Effect of temperature

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 Effect of Temperature on the Rate of Reaction

3 The optimum temperature is reached.

Rate of reaction Enzyme is most active.
(enzyme activity)

4 Beyond the optimum

2 As the temperature rises, temperature, enzyme
enzyme activity increases as activity decreases.
indicated by the increase in
the rate of reaction it
catalyses. Usually the
enzyme is twice as active 5 At point D, the enzyme
for every 10°C rise in has lost its ability to
1 An enzyme
temperature until the catalyse the reaction.
is less active
optimum temperature is
at very low
reached.
temperatures.

0 K (optimum temperature) D Temperature

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Effect of pH
 Enzymes have an optimum pH.
 Deviationfrom the optimum pH will
decrease enzyme activity.

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Effect of pH on Enzyme Activity

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Effects of substrate and enzyme concentration on
rate of reaction

 Increasing substrate concentration will

increase rate of reaction until a certain
limit.
 Cause:
 Enzyme molecules are saturated.

 Enzyme concentration is now the

limiting factor.
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What is a limiting factor?

 Any factor that directly affects the rate of

a process if its quantity is changed

 The value of the limiting factor has to be

increased in order to increase the rate
of the process.

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Coenzymes

What are coenzymes?

 Some enzymes require a coenzyme to be bound
to them before they can catalyse reactions.

 Usually, coenzymes are non-protein organic

compounds.
 Eg. Vitamins, especially the B complex vitamins.

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Coenzymes
 Coenzymes are altered in some way by
participating in enzyme reaction.

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Enzymes
 catalyse reversible reactions

reactants products

A +
B
+ D
C

reactants
reactants
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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action

affected by

Limiting factors

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Enzymes

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 Enzymes
Biological catalysts, which are mainly made of proteins. They speed up the rate of chemical
reactions without themselves being chemically changed at the end of the reactions.

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 Enzymes

Functions

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 Enzymes

Functions

• Building up or synthesising complex

substances
• Breaking down food substances in cells
to release energy (cellular respiration)
• Breaking down poisonous substances in
cells

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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics

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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics

• Speed up chemical reactions

• Required in small amounts
• Highly specific
• Work best at an optimum
temperature and pH
• May need coenzymes for activity
• Some catalayse reversible reactions

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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action

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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action

• Lower the activation

energy of a reaction
• Interact with the substrate
according to lock and key
hypothesis to form an
enzyme-substrate complex

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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action

affected by

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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action

affected by

Limiting factors

Factors that directly affect the rate at which a chemical reaction occurs if their quantity is changed.
The value of a limiting factor must be increased in order to increase the rate of reaction.

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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action

affected by

Limiting factors

e.g.

Temperature / pH
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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action

affected by

• Increase in temperature increases Limiting factors

the rate of enzyme reaction until
optimum temperature is reached
• Increase in pH increases the rate e.g.
of enzyme reaction until optimum
pH is reached Temperature / pH
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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action Classes

affected by

Limiting factors

e.g.

Temperature / pH
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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action Classes

based on the type
of reaction
catalysed e.g.

affected by
Hydrolases

Limiting factors

e.g.

Temperature / pH
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 Enzymes

Functions Characteristics Mode of Action Classes

based on the type
of reaction
catalysed e.g.

affected by
Hydrolases

Limiting factors Oxidation-reduction

enzymes

e.g.

Temperature / pH
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