Vocabulary
The building block of macromolecules
What is a monomer?
What would happen if enzymes were not available in a cell?
Reactions would happen to slowly.
What is the minimum energy needed for a reaction to begin called?
What is activation energy?
Enzymes are very ___.
Name one environmental factor that affects enzyme activity
Temperature or pH
A large molecule essential for life.
What is a macromolecule?
What is a catalyst?
In terms of energy, how does a spontaneous reaction differ from a nonspontaneous one?
Spontaneous reactions release energy; nonspontaneous require energy input.
Explain the "lock and key" model.
The substrate fits exactly into the enzyme's active site, like a key into a lock.
What is an inhibitor?
A substance that slows or stops enzyme activity.
The protein that speeds up chemical reactions.
What is an enzyme?
What determines the specificity of an enzyme?
Why are energy changes important to living things?
They provide the energy needed for cell processes and survival.
Describe what happens in an enzyme-substrate complex.
The enzyme binds to its substrates, lowers activation energy, and speeds up the reaction.
How does temperature affect enzyme activity?
Too high can denature enzymes, too low can slow them down.
The specific location where a substrate binds.
What is the active site?
Which macromolecule group do enzymes belong to?
What is proteins?
What role does a catalyst play in a reaction?
It lowers activation energy and speeds up the reaction.
What happens when an enzyme is denatured?
It loses its shape and can no longer function.
How does pH affect enzyme activity?
Extreme pH values can denature enzymes, reducing activity.
The molecule an enzyme acts on.
What is a substrate?
What is the substrate for amylase?
What is starch?
Energy is either released or absorbed during bond breaking/forming.
Why are enzymes considered polymers, but lipids are not?
Enzymes are proteins made of repeating amino acid monomers, while lipids are not made of repeating subunits.
Explain the difference between competitive and noncompetitive inhibitors.
Competitive inhibitors block the active site; noncompetitive inhibitors bind elsewhere, changing the enzyme's shape.