Explain The Structure Of Enzymes And Explain Their Metabolic Reactions

Words: 1692
Pages: 7
Open Document
Explain the structure of enzymes and discuss their metabolic reactions.
Explain the structure of enzymes and discuss their metabolic reactions.

Enzyme, a protein that catalyses a specific reaction. ‘Living cells contain thousands of different enzymes’ (Elliott, p.214), each of which catalyses (that is, accelerates without itself being changed) just one kind of reaction. In some of these reactions, small organic molecules such as amino acids, sugars, nucleotides, and lipids are broken down to provide energy for the cell. In other reactions, small molecules are built into complex macromolecules, such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and polysaccharides, or used to carry signals, or to control cell movements or gene expression. Enzyme-catalysed …show more content…
Some cells also contain enzyme inhibitors, known as anti-enzymes, which prevent the action of an enzyme upon a substrate.

Enzymes are classified into several broad categories, such as hydrolytic, oxidising, and reducing, depending on the type of reaction they control. Hydrolytic enzymes accelerate reactions in which a substance is broken down into simpler compounds through reaction with water molecules. Oxidising enzymes, known as oxidises, accelerate oxidation reactions; reducing enzymes speed up reduction reactions, in which oxygen is removed. Many other enzymes catalyse other types of reactions.

The different levels of protein structure are known as primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure. There are 20 common amino acids classified by their functional group, or their "R" group. When the weak hydrogen bonds that help the enzyme take its shape break because of the heat the enzymes have become denatured.

The primary structure is the sequence of amino acids that make up a polypeptide chain. 20 different amino acids are found in proteins. The exact order of the amino acids in a specific protein is the primary sequence for that protein.

Secondary structure - The amino acids form regular repeating patterns folding along the protein back bone. There are two common structures, the alpha helix and the beta pleated sheet.

In an alpha helix, ‘the
Show More

Related Documents: Explain The Structure Of Enzymes And Explain Their Metabolic Reactions

Essay Enzymes: Enzyme and Ph Levels

Smyth Biology 1101 Enzymes Enzymes are very effective and critical molecules that help speed up any given reaction that they come across. They assist cells by speeding up certain cellular activities such as metabolic and chemical reactions. Though they are highly effective with catalyzing reactions, enzymes are very delicate, meaning various situations can easily hinder their process. For instance temperature, temperature is kind of like a double edge sword to enzymes, warmer temperatures are…

Words 459 - Pages 2

Enzymes: Enzyme and Reaction Essay

Enzymes, their activity and their role in the body. P5 - Demonstrate the factors that affect enzyme activity. Enzymes are biological catalysts. This means that they are substances with the ability of increasing the rate of chemical reactions without being used up themselves. They are also proteins that are folded into complex shapes (tertiary proteins) allowing smaller molecules to fit into them. The molecules that react with the Enzymes are called “Substrate molecules”. The substrate molecules…

Words 1082 - Pages 5

Questions On Enzymes

Enzymes -Metabolism: describes chemical reactions occurring constantly to achieve homeostasis Metabolic pathways: order of chemical reactions from initial reactants to final proteins Step 1  Step 2  Step 3 …  Protein *Each step requires a different enzyme *Produces complex molecules -Enzymes: protein that speeds up a reaction without being consumed Sites of reaction are not changed or used up during/after a reaction Highly specific Suffix –ase E + S  ES  E + P -Lock & Key…

Words 430 - Pages 2

Enzymes: Enzyme and Substrate Essay

Enzymes What Are Enzymes? Substances that speed up chemical reactions are called catalysts. Organic catalysts are called enzymes. Enzymes are specific for one particular reaction or group of related reactions. Many reactions cannot occur without the correct enzyme present. They are often named by adding "ase" to the name of the substrate. Example: Dehydrogenases are enzymes that remove hydrogen. Induced-Fit Theory An enzyme-substrate complex forms when the enzyme’s active site binds with…

Words 876 - Pages 4

Enzyme and Enzyme Activity Background Essay

ENZYME ACTIVITY BACKGROUND Enzymes are the catalysts of biological systems. They speed up chemical reactions in biological systems by lowering the activation energy, the energy needed for molecules to begin reacting with each other. Enzymes do this by forming an enzyme-substrate complex that reduces energy required for the specific reaction to occur. Enzymes have specific shapes and structures that determine their functions. The enzyme’s active site is very selective, allowing only certain substances…

Words 1054 - Pages 5

Enzyme Lab

Introduction: Enzymes are a type of protein that initiate and assist every chemical reaction that occurs. Enzymes have the ability to do this with help from a few things. Increasing the temperature helps increase reaction rates however if you go past the optimum temperature it denaturizes the enzyme and the reaction rate decreases. PH can also have an effect on enzymes go past the optimum pH and it can disrupt the enzyme function in the interactions between excess hydrogen or hydroxide ions and…

Words 1417 - Pages 6

An Enzyme Essay

An Enzyme-Substrate Reaction Model Objectives: To study reaction rates of an enzyme-meditated reaction To study the effects of environmental variables on enzyme functions Introduction: A. Background Information In a chemical equation, the starting substances that are going to react together are called reactants. The substances formed during the reaction are products. All reactions require a minimum amount of energy to begin which is called activated energy. A catalyst if a substance that lowers…

Words 768 - Pages 4

Essay about Enzymes: Enzyme and Active Site

Enzymes; poisons and drugs A drug is either a substance which is used within diagnostics, treatment or prevention of a disease or illness; however drugs are also used on a recreational level and will cause changes within the central nervous system. A poison is a substance that caused injury, illness or death especially by chemical means. Many drugs and poisons are enzyme inhibitors; they bind to an enzyme and decrease their activity. The way in which an inhibitor may work is by attaching to the…

Words 833 - Pages 4

Essay about Enzymes: Enzyme and Test Tube

Enzymes Experiment 5 October 29, 2013 Objective: This experiment it designed to assist one in becoming acknowledged with enzymes. They will then learn why these enzymes are important and why it is used often in organic systems. The lab will also give them the chance to look at the activity rates of the enzymes and determine how it can be affected by environmental conditions. These conditions include temperature, pH, and substrate concentration. Abstract The process…

Words 2469 - Pages 10

Enzyme Lab Report

accelerate chemical reactions is known as an enzyme. Enzymes contain a specific site where the reaction will take place, known as the active site. This site is unique where only a certain type of molecule, substrate, may attach. The reaction will take place and the products of the reaction will be released. There are two main hypotheses on the shape of an enzyme. The first one is the lock and key hypothesis. This hypothesis explains that the shape of the enzyme and the shape of the substrate are so specific…

Words 319 - Pages 2