Enzymes

Catalysts and enzymes

• A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction
and is not changed by the reaction.
• Enzymes are proteins that are produced by living organisms. They are
involved in metabolic reactions ( building up and breaking down
reactions) where they function as biological catalysts.
• Many chemical reactions occur in organisms at rates that are too slow
to sustain life. Enzymes speed up these reactions and remain
unchanged at the end of the reactions.
• Some enzymes work inside cells that produce them( intracellular),
while others work outside cells that produce them (extracellular).
Reactions catalysed by enzymes

1. Enzymes and substrates

randomly move about in
solution.
2. When an enzyme and its
complementary substrate
randomly collide - with the
substrate turning into the
active site of the enzyme -
an enzyme-substrate
complex forms and the
reaction occurs.

c) Enzymes can convert one small molecule to another.

How do enzymes work?
 Enzyme action

Lock and key model (hypothesis)

An enzyme has a part called an active site.
A substrate whose shape is complementary
to the active site can bind to the active site.
An enzyme-substrate complex is formed
when the substrate binds to the active site.
The enzyme changes the substrate into a
product (s). The active site on the enzyme The reaction above shows that
represents the lock, while the substrate i) An enzyme remains unchanged at the end of the reaction
with a complementary shape is the key. ii) After the product is released, the enzyme can change other
This model shows that enzymes are specific substrate molecules into products. Therefore, only a few enzyme
as they can only catalyse one type of molecules are needed to change many substrate molecules into
reaction. products.
Investigating the effect of temperature on enzyme activity
• Watch the video and describe
the steps taken to investigate the
effect of temperature on
amylase activity.
Investigating the effect of pH on the activity
of amylase on starch
• Watch the video and describe
i)the steps taken to investigate the
effect of pH on amylase activity.
ii)the challenges with the practical
iii)state how these can be
overcome.
Effect of temperature
on enzyme activity
• Increasing the temperature of an enzyme-controlled
reaction increases its rate.
• This happens because the enzyme and substrate gain
kinetic energy. They move around more quickly, which
increases the chances of them colliding, the substrate
fitting in the active site, and a reaction taking place.
• The temperature at which the maximum rate of reaction
occurs is called the optimum temperature.
• At temperatures above optimum, the bonds holding the
enzyme molecule break down. This changes the shape of
the active site, so the substrate no longer fits.
• The enzyme becomes denatured and can no longer
catalyse the reaction.
Effect of pH on enzyme activity
• Enzyme activity is affected by pH of
the surroundings.
• Each enzyme works best at its
optimum pH.
• Some of the bonds that hold the
structure of an enzyme are weak.
Changes in pH break these bonds,
altering the shape of the active site.
• The substrate can no longer fit into
the active site; the reaction stops.
• The enzyme is denatured.
Properties of
enzymes
• Enzymes are proteins.
• Each enzyme catalyses one reaction.
• Enzymes can be used again and again.
• Enzyme activity is influenced by
i) Temperature
ii) pH