Chapter 1: The Chemical Reaction

Enzymes Overview

• Enzymes act as biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed in the process.

Lock and Key Model

• Traditional understanding of enzyme action:

  • Enzymes are compared to locks, substrates to keys.

  • A perfect fit is needed for enzyme-substrate interaction.

  • Example: Individual hand shapes, though different, can still interact with a flexible glove representing enzymes.

Flexibility of Enzymes

• Enzymes show flexibility to accommodate varying substrate shapes, enhancing specificity but also allowing for slight modifications in binding.

Identifying Enzymes

• Common suffix in enzyme names: -ase

  • This indicates a protein that functions as an enzyme.

  • Examples of enzymes provide clues about their functions based on their names, enhancing understanding of biochemical processes.

Key Functions of Enzymes

• Enzymes significantly speed up chemical reactions by lowering activation energy.

• Enzymes do not change the actual chemical outcome of the reactions.