Enzymes

•Enzymes are globular proteins

•They function as catalysts
•They alter or speed up chemical
reactions
•They remain chemically unchanged at
the end of reaction
Enzymes are biological
catalysts
 Catalysts-Substances that can speed up
a reaction without getting changed
 E.g. Potassium chlorate  Potassium
chloride + oxygen (heated strongly)
 Manganese (IV) oxide is an inorganic
catalyst (not destroyed by heating or pH
change)
 Speeds up the reaction
 Cells break carbohydrates, proteins and
fat in body using enzymes
Enzymes lower activation
energy
 Energy needed to start a reaction is
called activation energy
 In lab: Peanuts can be broken into CO2
and H2O in the presence of strong heat
 In our body: Enzymes speed this process
at body temperature
 No strong heat required
Activation energy is needed
to start a chemical reaction
 Enzymes lower the activation energy
Reactions catalysed by
enzymes in cells
 Digestionbreaking of complex
molecules to simple ones
 Starch to maltoseamylase
 Maltose to glucosemaltase
 Protein to amino acidsprotease
 Fats to fatty acids and glycerollipase
Enzymesbuild up/break
down complex substances
 Anabolic reactions
 Amino acidspolypeptidesproteins
 Catabolic reactions
 Digestion: Complex to simple molecules
 Cell respiration: glucoseCO2+H2O+energy
 Hydrogen peroxideOxygen + water (catalase)
 Hydrogen peroxide is toxic to cells.
 Catalase breaks hydrogen peroxide and removes
toxicity
How are enzymes named?

 Name of the enzyme shows the

substance on which enzymes act and
ends in ‘ase’
 E.g. maltase, lipase, etc.
 Previously named after scientist who
discovered. E.g. Pepsin
Classification of enzymes

 Based on chemical reactions

 Enzymes catalysing hydrolytic reactions
are called hydrolases
 Types of hydrolases:
 Carbohydrasesdigests carbohydrates
 Proteasesdigests proteins
 Lipasesdigests fats (lipids)
Induced fit hypothesis
Glucose test strips (Clinistix
test strip)
 Clinistixcontain two enzymes:
glucose oxidase and peroxidase
 Glucoseoxidase breaks glucose to
hydrogen peroxide
 Peroxidase combine with hydrogen
peroxide +dye colour change
 More glucose  more colour
Substrate and enzyme
concentration
 Increase in substrate concentration increases the
rate of the reaction
 After point X, there is no increase in the rate of
reaction
 Since all the enzyme molecules are used by the
substrate
 Enzyme molecules are saturated
 Amount of products formed remains the same
 The rate of the reaction can be increased by
increasing the enzyme molecules
Effect of substrate and enzyme
concentration on rate of reaction
Effect of substrate and enzyme
concentration on rate of reaction