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Define an enzyme
A protein catalyst that increases the rate of chemical reactions.
Explain why increasing substrate concentration initially increases reaction rate.
More frequent enzyme–substrate collisions.
Explain why metabolic pathways consist of many small steps rather than one large reaction
Allows control, efficiency, and energy management.
Explain why human enzymes typically have an optimum temperature around 37 °C.
They have adaptated to work best in our body temperature.
Define metabolism.
All of the chemical reactions in a cell or organism
Explain why the reaction rate reaches a maximum at high substrate concentration.
All active sites are occupied (enzyme saturation).
Explain the advantage of enzyme specificity in metabolic pathways.
Prevents unwanted side reactions.
Explain why extreme pH affects enzyme activity.
Disrupts ionic and hydrogen bonds, active site changes shape.
Define activation energy.
The minimum energy required to start a chemical reaction
What do we call a series of chemical reactions where the product of one step becomes the substrate for the next?
A metabolic pathway
Explain how enzymes regulate the rate of metabolism in a cell.
By controlling individual reaction rates.
Explain why denaturation is often irreversible.
Broken bonds and tertiary structure cannot reform in original positions/enzyme cannot easily refold back
Define substrate.
The molecule that binds to the active site of an enzyme (reactants).
Which model describes an enzyme as having a fixed shape that perfectly fits a specific substrate?
Lock and Key model
What will raising the temperature slightly do to the rate of reaction?
Increase it
Explain how enzyme denaturation can disrupt an entire metabolic pathway.
One blocked step prevents formation of final product.
Define denaturation in enzymes.
A change in enzyme structure that results in loss of function.
In noncompetitive inhibition, where does the inhibitor bind?
Evaluate the importance of enzymes in maintaining cellular homeostasis.
They regulate reactions needed for stable internal conditions.
What is competitive inhibition?
The inhibitor competes with the substrate for the enzyme’s active site (same site)
Define coenzyme/cofactor
The non-protein "helper" molecules that bind to enzymes to enable their proper function
The part of the enzyme where the substrate binds and the reaction occurs is called the ________.
Active site
Explain why enzymes functioning in different organs and environments have different optimum pH values.
Because they are adaptated to their to local environments.
Discuss the consequences of enzyme denaturation for an organism.
Leads to metabolic failure and possible death.