Enzymes Web Quest

Enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body.

1. What are enzymes?

Each enzyme has only one specific reaction it can perform.

2. How many different reactions can a single enzyme perform?

Yes, the same enzyme molecule can be used over and over

3. Are enzymes reusable?

The shape of an enzyme determines its function.

4. What determines the function of an enzyme?

Denaturing is when extreme pH or high temperature change the shape of the enzyme making it less or ineffective.

5. What is meant by (and causes) denaturing and how does it affect the function of an enzyme?

Click on “Why Enzymes?”

and click “Without Enzyme”

and all the way through to “With Enzyme”

An enzyme align 2 molecules, enabling them to bond and form a larger molecule.

6. How can a simple enzyme help create double bonds to link molecules?

Click on “Specificness”

Enzymes can only bond with molecules that physically fit

7. Explain why specific enzymes can only help digest specific nutrients.

Click on “Reusing Enzymes”

A single enzyme reacts with several of the same molecule, creating a chain of that molecule

8. Explain how enzymes help form long chains of molecules.

Click on “Denaturing”

9. What can cause an enzyme to be denatured?

An enzyme can be denatured by temperature or pH extreme.

The shape of the enzyme is changed and becomes inactive.

The process of denaturing is NOT reversible.

Once an enzyme is denatured it will never be effective again

10. Is the process of denaturing reversible?

The enzyme actually changes its shape and will not fit with the substrate it was meant for.

11. What physical change actually happens to an enzyme?

Answer the following questions:

–answers are NOT on the link provided.

The substrate is the “thing” the enzyme is acting upon.

The product is what is produced from the enzyme and substrate reaction.

12. Define the terms substrate and product.

Area that the substrate and enzyme meet is know as the active site.

Coenzymes help make a fit between the enzyme and coenzyme when necessary.

Coenzymes are made of vitamins and minerals

13. What is a coenzyme? What are they made of?

An inhibitor blocks/prevents a reaction from happening.

14. What is an enzyme inhibitor?

They prevent reactions from happening that are vital to life.

15. In relation to enzymes, why is it said that inhibitors indirectly cause an organism’s death?

Thought questions – answers are NOT on the

link provided.

The higher the concentration of the substrate the slower the reaction.

The lower the concentration of the substrate the faster the reaction.

17. How does changing the concentration of a substrate affect the rate of a reaction that uses enzymes?

18. What effect does changing the concentration of enzymes have on the rate of a reaction?

The higher the concentration of an enzyme, the faster the reaction.

The lower the concentration of an enzyme, the slower the reaction.

How do enzymes get their names?

The enzyme prefix is usually after the substrate it acts upon.

The suffix or ending is usually “ase”

Example: Lipase is an

enzyme because it ends in “ase”

We know it acts upon lipids because it starts in “lip”