Nutrition in Humans:

Lesson 3
 BIG IDEA…

Concept: Relationships
1. All relationships are purposeful

2. Everything is related in some way; structure is

related to function.

3. Relationships may change over time.

Lesson 3:

How enzymes speed up reactions

Mode of enzyme action

- The Lock and Key Hypothesis
- The Induced Fit Model
How do enzymes speed up
chemical reactions?

Enzymes lower activation energy

Activation energy is the energy needed to start

a chemical reaction.
Energy

activation energy without

activation energy
reactants enzyme
with enzyme

(glucose + oxygen) overall energy

products change

(carbon dioxide + water)

Time
Mode of enzyme action

The mode of enzyme action can be presented

using two theories:

- The Lock and Key Theory (also known as the

Lock and Key Hypothesis)

- The Induced Fit Theory (also known as the

Induced Fit Model)
What makes this possible?
Analogy: Lock and key
What makes this possible?
The Lock and Key Hypothesis

The ‘lock-and-key’ hypothesis explains enzyme

specificity.
According to the ‘lock-and-key’ hypothesis,
enzyme reactions depend on the active site.

URL
Active site
• Enzymes are large
protein molecules, but
only a small region is
functional

• This region is called

the active site

• This is the site which

receives substrate
molecule(s) prior to a
reaction
The ‘lock-and-key’ hypothesis

1. An enzyme has a specific 3-D shape which

contains an active site.

substrate

active site

enzyme
The ‘lock-and-key’ hypothesis
2. Only the substrate with a 3-D shape
complementary to that of the active site can fit
into the enzyme to form an enzyme-substrate
complex.

substrate binds to
active site of enzyme

enzyme-substrate
complex
The ‘lock-and-key’ hypothesis
3. Chemical reaction occurs and the substrate is
converted into products.

Chemical reaction
occurs while substrate is
attached to the enzyme
The ‘lock-and-key’ hypothesis
4. The products then detach from the active site.
The enzyme remains unchanged at the end of
the reaction.
products

Products leaving active

site of enzyme
 The Induced Fit Model

The enzyme changes its shape slightly to fit the shape of the substrate

Initial shape of enzyme is not complementary to the substrate, but is

complementary when an ES-complex is formed.
 BIG IDEAS…

Concept: Relationships
1. All relationships are purposeful: The complementary shapes of an
enzyme active site and the substrate enables the formation of an E-S
complex for a reaction to occur

2. Everything is related in some way; structure is related to function:

Complementary shapes allows one molecule to fit inside another (e.g.
Lego)

3. Relationships may change over time: After a reaction, enzymes

remain unchanged and active site is ready to receive new molecules.
Structural similarities also vary in the Induced Fit Model.