Mechanisms of Enzyme Action: Saccharase

Vocabulary flashcards covering the enzymatic breakdown of Saccharose, the structure of the active center, and the energy dynamics of enzyme catalysis based on the Westphal Biologie lecture notes.

Saccharose

A disaccharide (sucrose) that is split into the monosaccharides glucose and fructose during digestion.

Saccharase

The enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of Saccharose by reacting it with a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

The chemical process of splitting bonds within a molecule, such as Saccharose, through the addition of water.

Activation Energy (Aktivierungsenergie)

The energy required to initiate a reaction; enzymes function by lowering this threshold at body temperature.

Enzyme-Substrate Complex

An energy-rich intermediate state where substrate molecules are spatially aligned and mechanically strained to destabilize chemical bonds.

Reaction Rate of Saccharase

The speed increase provided by the enzyme, reaching approximately $10\,000\,000$ substrate molecules per second.

Active Center (aktives Zentrum)

A pocket-like depression in the enzyme's spatial structure where amino acid residues interact with the substrate.

Intermolecular Interactions

Forces such as hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, or Van-der-Waals forces that bind the substrate to the active center.

Tertiary Structure

The level of protein folding in which the active center is formed, often bringing distant amino acids from the primary structure together.

Enzyme-Product Complex

A temporary state formed after the reaction occurs but before the products detach from the enzyme.

Affinity

The attraction between molecules; product molecules have a lower affinity for the active center than the substrate, allowing them to release.

Catalytic Reusability

The characteristic of enzyme molecules where they emerge unchanged from a reaction and can be used again in very small quantities.