Denaturation

Denaturation

The irreversible change in a protein's 3D-conformation

What is the effect of a rise in temperature?

Causes molecules to move faster and thus makes reactions more likely

How does an increase in temperature affect an enzyme ?

Enzyme activity increases but past the enzyme's optimum the reaction rate slows down due to progressing denaturation.

What happens if an enzyme is denatured?

The whole molecule and the active site change their shape, so that the substrate fits no longer and the enzyme can no longer catalyze the reaction.

What is meant by "activation energy"?

An input of energy that is required to start a certain reaction

True or false? All enzymes are proteins.

True but some enzymes need a cofactor (e.g. vitamins or ions) to become active.

True or false? All proteins are enzymes.

Flase while enzymes are a very important group of proteins there are many others like e.g. structural proteins.