Unit 3 Part 1 - Chemical Reactions and Enzymes

Reactants

Starting substances

Products

Substances formed by chemical reaction

Activation energy

The minimum amount of energy needed for a chemical reaction to occur

What conditions can help reach activation energy faster?

1. Increase temperature

2. Increase no. of molecules

3. Pressure on molecules

All conditions cause molecules to collide with each other more.

Exothermic Reaction

Has a higher energy in reactants than in products (releases heat into environment)

Endothermic Reaction

Has lower energy in reactants than in products (absorbs heat from environment)

Catalyst

A substance that lowers the activation energy needed to start a chemical reaction.

Enzymes

Are catalysts that speedup the rate of chemical reactions.

Substrates

Reactants thar bind to the enzyme

Active site

location where a substrate binds to an enzyme

Substrate-Enzyme Complex

Enzyme while attached to the substrate