Enzymes and Metabolic Reactions Overview

Metabolism

All chemical reactions within an organism's cells.

Chemical Reactions

Breaking and forming bonds during chemical changes.

Reactants

Substances changed during a chemical reaction.

Products

Substances produced by a chemical reaction.

Catabolic Reactions

Break down larger molecules, releasing energy.

Anabolic Reactions

Build larger molecules from smaller molecules with less energy, consuming energy.

Activation Energy

Energy needed to start a chemical reaction.

Endothermic Reaction

Absorbs energy, e.g., photosynthesis.

Exothermic Reaction

Releases energy, e.g., cellular respiration.

Photosynthesis

Converts CO2 and H2O into glucose using light.

Cellular Respiration

Converts glucose into ATP, releasing CO2 and H2O.

Enzymes

Proteins that speed up biochemical reactions.

Catalysts

Substances that accelerate reactions without alteration.

Active Site

Region on enzyme where substrates bind.

Induced Fit

Substrate binding alters enzyme shape for reaction.

Denaturation

Loss of enzyme shape and function due to stress. It causes reduced activity.

Renaturation

Restoration of enzyme's original shape, not always possible.

Temperature Effect

as the temperature increases kinetic energy increases, but if the temperature gets too high the protein denatures.

pH effect of the enzyme

Specific pH levels affect enzyme activity.

Substrate Concentration

Higher substrate levels increase reaction speed.

Competitive Inhibitor

Slows reaction by competing for active site.

Enzyme Saturation

when no matter how much substrate you add the enzyme is working at full capacity

Enzyme denaturation

When an enzyme loses it's shape and no longer fits the substrate, and does not function

activation energy

the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction