ENZYMES

Properties:
▪ They are proteins that function as biological catalysts and made in all living cells. They break down or build up different biological
molecules such as protein, carbohydrates and lipids.
▪ Enzymes achieve their effect by providing an alternative reaction pathway that has lower activation energy than the uncatalysed
reaction so the reaction will be faster.
▪ Enzyme reactions are reversible

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▪ Enzymes are able to catalyse reactions in aqueous solutions under mild conditions of temperature and pH.

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▪ The function of an enzyme depends on its three-dimensional shape – in particular the precise shape of the active site. This region
of the enzyme’s surface is arranged to recognize the particular substrate.

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▪ Enzymes are specific-This means simply that an enzyme which normally acts on one substance (substrate) will not act on a

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different one.

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▪ Some enzymes breakdown a large molecule into smaller units. While others make a large molecule from small units
▪ Majority of enzyme names end with ‘ase’. For example; protease, lipase, amylase, restriction endonuclease and ligase.

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Note: Catalase is an enzyme found in plant and animal cells. It has the function of breaking down hydrogen

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peroxide, a toxic waste product of metabolic processes.

Catalyst: it is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction and is not changed by the overall reaction.
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Mechanism of enzyme action- The action of enzymes is often explained in terms of the ‘lock and key’ model. The recognition and
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binding of a substrate (e.g starch) molecule by the active site of an enzyme (e.g amylase) is often referred to as a ‘lock and key’
• It states that the active site has a very specific shape which is rigid where only one type of substrate will fit and form enzyme –
substrate complex temporarily.
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• This is because the shape of active site is complementary to the substrate. Here, substrate is key, enzyme is lock.
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• The products have a different shape from the substrate and so, once formed, they escape from the active site, leaving it free to
become attached to another substrate molecule.
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Substrate (reactant): The substance on which an enzyme acts is called its substrate and the molecules produced are called the
products.
An enzyme reaction in which large molecules are built up from smaller molecules are called anabolic reactions.
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Enzyme reactions in which a large molecule is broken down to form smaller molecules are called catabolic reactions.
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The figure below shows a catabolic and an anabolic reaction of enzymes

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Energy profile diagram for a bio- chemical reaction

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Enzyme specificity
Substrate Specific enzyme Product(s)
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Starch Amylase Maltose

Lipid Lipase Fatty acids and glycerol
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Protein Pepsin (protease) Polypeptide

Polypeptide Trypsin (protease) Dipeptide
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Maltose Maltase Glucose

Cellulose Cellulase Glucose
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Hydrogen peroxide Catalase Water and oxygen

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Activation Energy: it is the minimum energy required to begin a reaction; enzymes reduce it.

Factors affecting enzyme reactions:

Temperature pH Concentration of enzyme Concentration of substrate

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Temperature - The rate of an enzyme catalyzed reaction is affected by temperature in a characteristic way. As the temperature
increases up to an optimum temperature, for every 10oC rise, the rate doubles. After the optimum temperature, the rate falls
rapidly.
Explanation:
• As the temperature increases, particles gain more kinetic energy.
They move faster and collide with each other frequently.

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• This increases the chance of substrate bumping into active sites,

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resulting more enzyme-substrate complex formation in short time.
• Beyond the optimum temperature, the enzyme molecules denature

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so the rate falls.
• As the temperature increases beyond optimum, more atoms vibrate.

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This breaks the bonds, and alters the three-dimensional shape of the

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Thermostatically controlled water bath is used to keep
enzyme, it thus denatures irreversibly. the temperature constant.
• At very low temperature enzymes are inactive but not denatured

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Optimum temperature for most enzymes is around 37oC

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pH – the lower the pH, the higher the acidity. Acid or alkaline conditions
alter the chemical properties of proteins, including enzymes.
 Different enzymes work at different ranges of pH, this is because
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they have a particular arrangement of weak intermolecular bonds
which hold their shape together.
 Changes in pH affect the concentration of H+ ions which alters the
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charge on amino acids as a result the bonds are affected.

 As you increase the pH from low to high, new inter molecular bonds
(hydrogen bonds) are formed in the active site. This makes the
active site more complimentary to the substrate. At optimum pH,
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the active site is 100% complementary to the substrate.

 As the pH increases further, hydrogen bonds start breaking, causing
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the active site less complimentary. As a result, the enzyme and pH buffer is used to keep the pH constant
substrate molecules so will not fit together.
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Although changes in pH affect the activity of enzymes, these effects are usually reversible, i.e.an enzyme that is denatured by a low
pH will resume its normal activity when its optimum pH is restored. Denaturation of enzymes due to pH can occur at low and high
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pH.
Note: bacteria do not usually grow inside the stomach, this is because the acidic pH in the stomach denatures the
enzymes in bacteria as a result they die.
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pH buffer – it is a solution that resists changes of pH. In order to keep the pH constant, we use pH buffers.
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Substrate concentration –
• As the substrate concentration increases, more active sites of enzyme are
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occupied by substrate molecules.

• At one point, all active sites become occupied and a further increase in
substrate concentration will not increase the rate.
• At this point substrate concentration is no longer limiting; enzyme
concentration is limiting.

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Enzyme concentration – the rate of enzyme reaction also depends on the concentrations of the enzyme and its substrate. The more
enzyme molecules produced by a cell, the faster the reaction will proceed, provided there are enough substrate molecules available.

Intra- and extracellular enzymes –

• All enzymes are made inside cells. Most of them remain inside the cell to speed up reactions in the cytoplasm and nucleus
(catalase). These are called intracellular enzymes (‘intra’ means ‘inside’).
• In a few cases, the enzymes made in the cells are let out of the cell to do their work outside. These are extracellular
enzymes (‘extra’ means ‘outside’).
• Fungi and bacteria release extracellular enzymes in order to digest their food. In the digestive systems of animals,

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extracellular enzymes are released into the stomach and intestines in order to digest the food.

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Safety precaution in enzyme experiment
Enzymes such as protease produces blisters on the skin therefore Wash splashes with plenty of water, wear gloves

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and eye protection.
Airborne enzyme dust – wear mask

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Browning of fruits and vegetables when cut

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For example; when an apple is cut (or bruised), oxygen is introduced into the injured plant tissue. When
oxygen is present in cells, polyphenol oxidase enzymes rapidly oxidize polyphenol naturally present in the

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apple tissues from colorless to brown-colored substance.

Note: Enzymes are catalysts, they are necessary for many biological processes because without enzymes

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reactions, occur too slowly. enzymes speed up reactions by reducing activation energy needed for a reaction.
Furthermore, reactions take place at lower temperatures in the presence of enzymes.
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