METABOLISM &

ENZYMES
Y E A R 11 ATA R H U M A N B I O L O G Y
SYLLABUS POINTS RESOURCES
Textbook:
• biochemical processes, including
• 3.1 up to heading nutrients
anabolic and catabolic reactions in the
cell, are controlled in the presence of
specific enzymes YouTube videos: links
• Khan Academy Metabolism
LEARNING • Lock & Key Enzymes Rachel Taylor

OBJECTIVES
• Define metabolism
• Differentiate (contrast) anabolic and catabolic reactions
• Describe what enzymes are
• Describe how enzymes affect metabolism and why they
are needed
METABOLISM
Metabolism
• All the chemical reactions that take place in the cell
• There are two types of reactions

Anabolic Reactions Catabolic Reactions

Smaller molecules are built to larger Larger molecules break down to smaller
molecules molecules

This is Ana the builder This cat destroys things.

He turns large things into tiny
little pieces
CATABOLISM – CATABOLIC REACTIONS

• Large molecules are broken down into smaller ones

• Release energy
• Examples of catabolic reactions
– Glycolysis
– Digestion of food
– Beta-oxidation
ANABOLISM –
ANABOLIC REACTION
• Small molecules are built into larger ones
• Requires energy to occur
• Examples of anabolic reactions
– Bone growth mineralization
– Muscle mass build up
– Protein synthesis
ENZYMES
• Chemical reactions can be divided into many small
steps or metabolic pathways
• Each step of a chemical reaction can require a
specific enzyme for the reaction to proceed.
What are they?
• Proteins that act as a catalyst (speed up) specific
chemical reactions without being altered themselves
Why do we need them?
• At body temperature they speed up the chemical
reactions at a fast enough rate for the body to
function
– Without enzymes speeding up reactions, the reaction
would occur too slow to maintain homeostasis
HOW DO THEY WORK • For a chemical reaction to occur,
specific conditions are required
– Activation energy
• The reacting particles MUST
collide with enough energy to
break the bonds
• Enzymes lower the activation
energy by reducing the
stability of the reactants OR
providing alternative pathways
ENZYME VOCABULARY
Substrate
• reactant which binds to enzyme
• enzyme-substrate complex: temporary
association

Active site
• Where substrate fits into

Product
• end result of reaction
LOCK-KEY MODEL
The lock-key model is an analogy put forward to explain the specific action of an enzyme with a
single substrate
1. Attachment
– The active site on the enzyme attaches to a substate molecule
– This forms an enzyme-substrate complex
– Each substance has a specific enzyme with a specific active site (like a lock and key)
2. Weakening of bonds
– The enzyme causes weakening of the bonds = lowers the activation energy
3. Reaction Proceeds

The enzyme is NOT ’used up’ or altered and therefore can be reused again and again
 SUMMARY OF ENZYMES
• All enzymes are proteins

• All enzymes speed up chemical reactions (act as biological catalysts)

• Enzymes are not used up/changed in the reaction

• All enzymes are reaction-specific

• Enzymes work by lowering the energy of reaction/activation energy

• Enzymes are thought to work on a lock-key principle

• Each enzyme works under specific conditions e.g. pH & temperature