CELLS

ENZYMES
• Make EVERY reaction in your body happen
• They are biological catalysts – they speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation
energy needed to get those reactions started
• Important characteristics of enzymes (proteins):
• They are specific and work on only ONE TYPE of molecule = substrate
• Reusable
• Shape dependent because their active site must fit with the substrate
• Anything that denatures the protein will deactivate an enzyme (changes in temperature, pH)
• Can be blocked/inhibited by anything that blocks the active site
• Enzyme names often end in –ase
• Lactose (substrate); lactase (enzyme)
 CELL MEMBRANE
• A.K.A. plasma membrane
• Controls what enters and leaves the cell = selectively permeable (semipermeable)
• Made of mostly phospholipids which form a good barrier
• Proteins embedded in the membrane act as channels to allow certain substances to pass
through
 TRANSPORT: MOVING THINGS IN &
OUT OF CELLS
• Basic vocabulary
• Concentration gradient – a difference in the amount of a substance in a space
• Passive transport – does NOT require the cell to use energy to move a substance
• Happens on its own because molecules always move from areas of high concentration into areas of low
concentration (“down the concentration gradient”)
• Examples: diffusion, osmosis
• Active transport - requires the cell to use energy to move a substance
• Moving molecules from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration (“against the
concentration gradient”)
• Example: sodium-potassium pump, endocytosis, exocytosis
 DIFFUSION
• Happens in living and non-living systems
• Continues until equilibrium is reached, then molecules continue to move in all directions
equally
 OSMOSIS
• Diffusion of WATER through a semipermeable membrane
• Osmotic pressure – the ability of a substance to “pull” water towards it
ACTIVE TRANSPORT
 RELEVANT CELL PARTS
• Nucleus – contains the DNA
• Ribosomes – make proteins
• Mitochondria – make energy in the form of ATP
• Vesicles – sacs surrounded by their own membranes; they can hold a variety of things
• Lysosomes – specialized vesicles that contain powerful digestive enzymes