Unit 6: Enzymes and Vitamins

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions regarding enzymes and vitamins as discussed in Unit 6 of the lecture notes.

Enzyme

Biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions without undergoing any change themselves.

Globular Proteins

Spherical in structure, water-soluble, and serve functions like enzymes, messengers, transporters, and regulators.

Fibrous Proteins

Non-globular proteins that are usually structural and low solubility in water, e.g., collagen and keratin.

Active Site

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

Enzyme-Substrate Complex

A temporary complex formed when an enzyme binds to its substrate.

Catalyze

To accelerate a chemical reaction through the action of an enzyme.

Inhibitors

Molecules that can decrease or halt enzyme activity.

Competitive Inhibition

A type of inhibition where an inhibitor mimics the substrate and competes for the active site.

Non-Competitive Inhibition

Inhibition in which an inhibitor binds to an enzyme at a site other than the active site, altering its shape.

Cofactors

Non-protein molecules that assist enzymes during the catalysis of reactions.

Vitamins

Complex organic compounds necessary for regulating metabolic processes that the body cannot synthesize adequately.

Antioxidants

Substances that prevent oxidative damage to cells by neutralizing free radicals.

Zymogen

An inactive precursor of an enzyme, which requires a biochemical change for activation.

Isoenzymes

Different isoforms of an enzyme that catalyze the same reaction but may operate in different tissues.

pH

A measure of acidity or alkalinity, critical for enzyme activity and maintaining enzyme structure.