Chapter 4.1 - Enzymes as Catalysts

enzymes

proteins that catalyze chemical reactions

catalyst

chemical that increases the rate of a reaction, is unchanged after the reaction, and does not alter the reaction type or product

how do enzymes work?

enzymes lower the activation energy for chemical reactions

active sites

pockets in an enzyme involved in catalyzing a reaction

substrates

the reactant molecules of an enzyme

lock-and-key model

model where the enzyme has a specific shape that only permits particular molecules to react

induced-fit model

model where the substrate guides the shape of the enzyme

isoenzymes

enzymes that have slightly different structures but catalyze the same reactions

how do enzymes help diagnose organ damage?

when cells die, they release their enzymes into the blood; testing for enzymatic activity can suggest organ damage