Enzymes: Measuring rate of reaction and fermentation

What is the importance of measuring intial rate?

When measuring the rate of reaction:

Always measure the initial rate of reaction beacause the rate will decrease as substrate is used up.

What happens once the reaction proceeds?

• Reactants are being used up

• Products are formed

• Enzyme concentration remains the same

• Substrate becomes less concentrated

This causes the reaction to slow down.

How do we measure the rate of reaction?

We need to measure one of the two things:

• Increase in products.

• Decrease in reactants.

What is fermentation?

It is the process where glucose is converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide in the presence of yeast.

It is a very important enzyme controlled reaction that makes bread rise and produces alcoholic drinks.

It can also be used to produce ethanol for use a fuel.

What is the process of fermentation?

Sugar solution and yeast are left in anaerobic conditions at 35^oc

Yeast is a microorganism that contains Zymase.

This enzyme converts sugar into ethanol and CO₂

What are the uses of fermentation?

Different food stuffs can be fermented to give different flavours.

e.g. Apple juice is used to make cider, grapes are fermented to make wine.