Unit 3 Review - Cellular Energetics Notes

Enzymes

Key Properties of Enzymes

• usually proteins (sometimes RNA)

• catalyse reaction in cells

• lower activation energy of reaction that they catalyse → increasing the rate of these reaction

• Without enzyme → high activation energy

• With enzyme → low activation energy

• Highly specific → active site complements shape and charge of their substrate

  • Substrate → substance that enzyme acts upon

Enzyme Optima and their Environment: General Issues and pH

• secondary, tertiary, and quaternary protein structures

  • involve hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds and hydrophobic clustering