Metabolism

all of the chemical reactions in an organism. No metabolic reactions happen without help! Most

require the help of enzymes.

Enzymes:
proteins that speed up chemical reactions.
Activation Energy:
For a chemical reaction to begin,
first chemical bonds must be broken. This requires
molecules to absorb energy from their surroundings.
This energy is called activation energy because it
activates the reactants and triggers the chemical
reaction.
Enzymes enable metabolism to occur by
reducing the amount of activation energy required to break the bonds of reactant molecules.
Engineered Enzymes:
Lactase enzymes were mutated at random and then tested whether

they displayed a new activity (breaking down a closely related sugar). Directed evolution helped
researchers genetically engineer an artificial enzyme.

Induced Fit
The substrate slips into the docking station of the enzyme, and the active site changes shape slightly
to embrace the substrate and catalyze the reaction. Its like shaking hands!
Substrate:
A certain molecule that said enzyme will recognize and bind to (depending on the
enzymes
shape)
Enzymes are
special
because after
the products
are released
from the active
site, the
enzyme can
accept another
molecule of its
substrate and
function
repeatedly.

Many enzymes are named for their substrates, but with an -ase ending.
Enzyme Inhibitors
Imposters! Certain molecules inhibit metabolic
reactions by binding to an enzyme and
disrupting its function. These are substrate
imposters that plug up the activation site (in
the textbooks words, You cant shake a
persons hand if someone else puts a banana in
it first!) or other sites, that
evidently change the shape of
the enzyme so that it can no
longer accept the substrate (Like someone punching you
in the stomach. I doubt you will be able to shake hands
at the same time as you are being punched in the
stomach)
These happen if a cell is producing too much of
something.
Feedback regulation:
Keeps the cell from wasting
resources, inhibiting enzymes.
Medical reference!
Many antibiotics work by
inhibiting enzymes of disease causing bacteria, for
example, penicillin inhibits an enzyme that bacteria use
in making cell walls.