Enzyme Function and Spectrophotometry

Vocabulary flashcards covering enzyme terminology, factors affecting enzyme activity, and spectrophotometer usage based on lecture learning objectives.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst that accelerates chemical reactions in living organisms by lowering activation energy.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without undergoing any permanent chemical change or being consumed in the process.

Active site

The specific region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

Substrate

The specific reactant molecule upon which an enzyme acts.

Products

The molecules produced as a result of an enzyme-catalyzed chemical reaction.

Activation energy

The minimum amount of energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.

Denature

The structural modification of an enzyme's shape, often resulting from extreme pH or high temperature, which leads to the loss of its biological activity.

Spectrophotometer

An instrument that measures the intensity of light absorbed or transmitted by a chemical substance at specific wavelengths.

Light absorbance

A measure of the quantity of light absorbed by a solution as light passes through it.

Tare or Zero (Spectrophotometer)

The procedure of calibrating a spectrophotometer using a blank solution to set the baseline absorbance to zero before measuring an experimental solution.