Enzymes: Speeding Up Chemical Reactions

What is a Catalyst?1. Catalyst a helper that speeds up chemical reactionsEx: lighter fluid helps a person get a fire started faster and with less energy (one match).

2. Your body has different catalysts for different chemical reactions. Your tool box has different tools A hammer help you sink a nail more quickly, but wont help you screw in a screw more quickly.

3. Without catalysts, it would take a long time to get energy from food as they play a major role in the digestive system.

4. Catalysts catalyze (speed up) specific chemical reactions by lowering a chemical reactions activation energy.

For example, striking a match provides the activation energy the match needs to burn.

Enzymes5. Enzyme - protein polymer that acts as a catalyst for a biochemical reaction6. An enzyme can combine only with molecules that fit its shape, like a lock and key.Active siteActive site7. The molecule must bind to the enzymes active site (where they hook together).

SubstrateProductsActive SiteEnzyme8. The enzyme helps to break some of the bonds in the molecule (substrate) that fits into it. In this way, it can break polymers down into monomers.

9. The enzyme catalyzes (speeds up) the splitting of the molecule (substrate) into two molecules (products).

Enzyme AnimationNotice here how a large polymer is broken apart by the enzyme!

http://www.kscience.co.uk/animations/ectopeptidase.swf

10. Without enzymes, many chemical reactions in the body could not occur causing various disorders:Lactose intolerance a condition where the body is unable to digest milk sugars due to the missing enzyme resulting in intestinal problems.

Lactaid contains lactase enzymes missing by the body.

B. Cystic fibrosis disease in which an enzyme necessary to break down mucous in the lungs does not function therefore the lungs fill up with this sticky mucous. This is a genetic disorder which results in chronic lung infections and limits life span.

PKU an enzyme necessary for normal brain development does not function properly, leading to mental retardation.

A PKU blood test is used to screen newborns for the disease

11. Therefore, having a single enzyme in the body that does not function properly can have devastating results. **It is our DNA (nucleic acid polymer) that determines which enzymes we make and which ones we are unable to make. **

Effects of Temperature and pH on EnzymesHigh temperatures can destroy (denature) enzymes.Different types of enzymes have optimal temperatures in which they work. For example, human enzymes work best in 35-40 degrees Celsius.

Enzymes also have an optimal pH. The optimal pH for most enzymes is 6-8.But this is not always so! The optimal pH for enzymes within the stomach tends to be 2.pH that is not optimal for an enzyme can denature enzymes as well.

*******