B2_1.

26_Enzymes as biological catalysts

B2_1.27_Enzymes catalyse chemical
reactions e.d DNA replication, Protein
Synthesis, Digestion.
B2_1.28_Factors affecting enzyme action
B2_1.29_Enzymes are highly specific for
their substrate
B2_1.30_Lock-and-key hypothesis
B2_1.31_Enzymes can be denatured
B3_3.10_Enzyme technology
B3_3.12_Enzymes in food production

Practical work we will do during the practical weeks

B2_1.32_Factors that affect enzyme activity
B3_3.11 Investigate the use of immobilised lactase /
B3_3.12_Enzymes in food production

Last week we talked about how

proteins are made so what are
Proteins? Protein (from the

Greek word proteios meaning

1st place

Proteins account for more than 50% of the dry weight of cells
and are VITAL in almost everything organisms do!

PROTEINS!

Organic
molecules
Containing
C, H, O and N

Structural support

Storage

Signaling

Defense

Transport

Movement

Proteins have
many vital
functions,
including

Additionally as ENZYMES proteins regulate metabolism by

regulating chemical reactions in the cell.

Humans have tens of

thousands of different
proteins each with a
different, specific
structure & function!

e.gs Globular proteins

ANTIBODIES

ENZYMES

HORMONES

e.gs Fibrous proteins

Keratin

Collagen

So, Proteins have a variety

of functions:
Enzymes: usually
globular, due to tight
folding and coiling of
polypeptide chains.

They are often soluble and are

important in metabolism

(i.e. enzymes hydrolyze large food molecules: digestive enzymes) others help make (synthesize) large
molecules.

B2_1.26_Enzymes as biological
catalysts
B2_1.27_Enzymes catalyse
chemical reactions
B2_1.29_Enzymes are highly
specific for their substrate
B2_1.30_Lock-and-key
hypothesis

So, Enzymes are proteins.

They are very important substances because
they control the chemical reactions that
happen in our bodies

Enzymes are known as biological

catalysts - substances which speed
up reactions but which do not get
used up themselves.
Enzyme names usually end in the letters -ase, for example:
amylase, protease and lipase.

Enzymes act as biological Catalysts

to speed up chemical reactions

How does an enzyme actually catalyses a chemical

reaction?
Enzymes catalyse a chemical reaction by combining with a
reactant and speeding up the reaction.

The
reactant
is
called the substrate.
The enzyme has a
specific indentation
called an active site,
which helps it to
recognise
that
substrate.

Enzymes and Subrate lock and Key

hypotheis

There are two main

types of enzymes

1) Those that break down

large molecules into
smaller ones. These are
very
important
in
digestion, why?

They are required to break down

large food molecules into smaller
ones that can be used by our cells

2) Those that build

up large molecules
from small ones.
These are very
important for growth
and repair.

Enzyme specificity
Use the diagram
(left) to help you
to explain why
each enzyme will
only catalyse one
particular
reaction.

Substrate B

B2_1.28_Factors affecting
enzyme action
B2_1.31_Enzymes can be
denatured

Many factors affect

how well enzymes
function: you need to
know 3 of them

Temperature
pH
Concentration

Temperature &
pH
Most enzymes function best
at normal Body temperature:
37C
High
temperatures
will
usually result in an enzymes
denaturation
Most enzymes like near
neutral pH (6 to 8)
Denaturation is defined as a
perminant change in the
tertiary
(3-dimensional)
structure of a protein
When
an
enzyme
is
denatured it is no longer able
to function

As temperature increases the rate of reaction increases up to a

maximum (usually around 40C). After this point the rate of
reaction will decrease.
High temperatures will result
in enzyme denaturation.
Enzymes are proteins. At high
temperatures these proteins start
to unravel. This changes the shape
of the active site and as a result the
substrate can no longer fit into it.
When this happens the enzyme is
said to be denatured. Once an
enzyme is denatured it will not
work.

1. The Effect of Temperature

1. Effect of temperature on enzyme action!

If the temperature goes above a certain
level, this vibration breaks some of the
bonds that hold the enzyme in shape

Thus, the active site

changes shape and the
enzyme and substrate no
longer fit together.

The rise in temperature

makes the enzyme
molecules vibrate
more
At this point, the enzyme is
Denatured it no longer
functions as a catalyst.

2. The Effect of pH

Enzymes in the human body will work at an optimum within narrow

pH ranges. pH changes beyond an enzymes optimum will result in the
enzymes denaturation.

How pH affects
enzyme activity
An enzymes catalytic activity
is affected by how acidic or
alkaline its environment is.
The majority of enzymes
work
best
in
neutral
conditions. However, some
prefer acidic and others
prefer alkaline conditions.

2. How pH affects
enzyme activity
Similar to temperature, the
active site of an enzyme can be
changed by conditions that are
either too acidic or too alkaline.

If the active site of the enzyme is changed (i.e. it is denatured) then the
substrate can no longer bond/attach to the active site of the enzyme.
Therefore no reaction can take place and no product produced

3. Enzyme
Concentration

The more enzyme in a solution, the

greater the chance that an enzyme
substrate complex will form, and the
greater the rate of reaction up to a
maximum when all active sites are
fully occupied.

Substrate Concentration
The more
substrate in the
solution the
greater the
chance of a
substrate
molecule finding
an active site, and
the faster the
rate of reaction
up to a maximum
when all active
sites are fully
used.

Q. Why do you think that the

reaction goes faster as the
temperature increases? (think about
what happens to molecules as they
warm up)

The molecules involved in the reaction will have more kinetic

energy as the temperature increases, so they will move about
more, collide more.
So the enzyme and substrate molecules are more likely to
collide or combine with each other (and therefore react)

So Enzymes lower the

activation energy for a
reaction

Free
Energy

Without Enzyme
With Enzyme

Free energy of activation

Reactants

Products

Progress of the reaction

B3 3.10 Enzyme technology & B3 3.12 Enzymes in food production

Enzymes use in
sweet
manufacturing

How do you get the

runny center inside
a cream egg?
To make soft centers in chocolates many
manufactures add an enzyme called invertase
(sucrase) which catalyses the reaction to break
the sugar sucrose down.
Many Confectionary sweets are made using
enzymes specifically and enzyme called
Invertase (sucrase). Invertase is produced by
yeast and we can utilise this enzyme.
Invertase / sucrase breaks down sucrose into
the monosaccharides glucose and fructose.

To make soft centers in chocolates many manufactures

add an enzyme called invertase (sucrase) which
catalyses the reaction to break the sugar sucrose down.
Many Confectionary
sweets are made using
enzymes specifically and
enzyme called Invertase
(sucrase). Invertase is
produced by yeast and we
can utilise this enzyme.
Invertase / sucrase breaks
down sucrose into the
monosaccharides glucose
and fructose.

B3 3.10 Enzyme technology & B3 3.12 Enzymes in food production

Enzymes used in
making Vegetarian
Cheese
Enzymes in cheese making. Cheese is made when the enzyme chymosin. Chymosin acts
upon milk specifically the enzyme catalyses reactions that cause proteins in milk (curds) to
coagulate and separate from the liquid (whey).

Chymosin was orginally obtained from

calves stomach tissues. However now, the
enzyme is made using genetically modified
bacteria. The process is more efficient and
the product (Chymosin) contains less
impurities and acts more predictably.

B3 3.10 Enzyme technology & B3 3.12 Enzymes in food production

Enzymes using in Biological

washing powders
Biological washing powders
contain enzymes, for example:
Proteases break down proteins
into amino acids
Lipases break down fats into
glycerol and fatty acids
Carbohydrases (e.g. amylase)
break down sugars
(polysaccahrides, e.g. starch)
into monosaccahrides (e.g.
glucose)

Because biological washing powders contain enzymes

Because biological washing
(biological catalysts) they work best at optimal temperatures.
powders contain enzymes
Which
means they
are most effective
at
(biological
catalysts)
they work
OC.
lower
temperatures,
e.g
around
30
best at optimal temperatures.
This has many other benefits:

Which
they are
most effective at
means
Less energy
is used
lower
temperatures,
e.g around 30OC.
(heating
water / production
This has
other
benefits:
of many
carbon
emissions)
Dyes in fabrics are less
Less energy is used
likely to run out of
(heating water / production
fabrics
of carbon emissions)
Clothes are less likely to
Dyes in fabrics are less
shrink in the wash.
likely to run out of
fabrics
Clothes are less likely to
shrink in the wash.

We will come across

enzymes again when we
go through

The digestive system e.g. the

Enzymes that break down
carbohydrates (Carbohydrases
like amylase found in the saliva
in the mouth)

When we revisit enzymes in a little more

detail when we investigate enzyme action:
i.e.
Use of immobilized enzymes
Lactase will break down lactose in milk
Pectinase will break down pectin (a sugar
found in the cell walls of plants / fruit)
Investigate how temperature and pH
effect enzyme action