Brandon Phan

Proteins as Enzymes Enzymes are used to lower activation energy and are used to break down foods/proteins and speed up chemical reactions. It is also considered a catalyst. Enzymes are composed of globular proteins which can be very active, giving it the use as a catalyst. A molecule of catalyse cam decompose almost a hundred thousand molecules of hydrogen peroxide every second. The active site is the place which attracts substrate to the surface of the enzyme. This is where the enzymatic reaction takes place. Molecules called substrates are captured and undergo a reaction through the active site, to break apart a large molecule or to join two together. This is done by changing the shape of the enzyme so it fits its substrate like a lock and key and changes its shape once again after the reaction is over. They change when two molecules are joined because the two substrate molecules will be bonded together. Every enzyme must be able to fit only in one type of molecule. Enzymes are only attracted to one substrate that is only able to fit the enzymes active site. This is why to speed up certain reactions; you need to use a specific enzyme.

Brandon Phan

Protein Denaturation
Q1. What happens to a proteins shape when it denatures? The shape of a protein is disrupted in the quaternary/tertiary/secondary protein structures. This breaks their bonds but new bonds may be formed, giving it a different shape. Q2. Is increasing temperature the only way of denaturing a protein? What other ways are there? Heating is not the only way to denature a protein. A protein can also be denatured by acid and force. Q3. Give one example of where you might observe protein denaturing in everyday life Boiling/whisking an egg is an example of protein denaturation Q4. Explain why the activity of the enzyme drops: i. ii. at very low temperatures Enzymes are meant to speed up reactions but if it is cold, it will take longer to have an effect due to slow movement of atoms. at very high temperatures Enzymes are proteins and when they are heated, they become denatured, losing their structure and function.

DNA DNA is a structure that forms a double helix with about 10 nucleotide pairs per helical turn. Each spiral strand is composed of a sugar phosphate backbone and attached bases. This is connected to a complementary strand by hydrogen bonding between paired bases, Adenine with thymine and guanine with cytosine. DNA molecule functions as an information centre for genetic material.