2.4 Conduct a practical investigation to model the action of enzymes in cells

Metabolism

The chemical processes that occur in an organism.

Metabolic rate

The speed at which reactions occur in metabolism.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts found in living cells that control the rate of reactions without being used up.

Substrate

The specific molecule that an enzyme acts on, either breaking it down (catabolism) or synthesizing it into more complex molecules (anabolism).

Lock and Key Model

Describes the enzyme-substrate interaction where the substrate fits perfectly into the enzyme's active site.

Induced Fit Model

Describes the enzyme-substrate interaction where the enzyme's active site changes shape slightly to accommodate the substrate.

Enzyme denaturation

Occurs when an enzyme's active site changes shape due to deviations from its optimum conditions, leading to loss of function.

Optimum conditions

Specific temperature and pH ranges where enzymes function most efficiently.

Enzyme sensitivity

Enzymes are sensitive to changes in their environment and can denature if conditions deviate from their optimum ranges.

Enzyme naming convention

Enzymes are often named after their substrate and end in -ase, but some exceptions exist like catalase.