KEY CONCEPT Enzymes are catalysts for chemical reactions in living things Some chemical reactions that make life possible are too slow or have activation energies that are too high to make them practical for living tissue…(in other words they take TOO LONG) Solution  Your body has a protein that lowers the amount of energy needed at the beginning of a reaction, so you have more energy to complete your metabolic processes needed to live your life! These proteins are called enzymes.

A catalyst lowers activation energy. Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions. decrease activation energy increase reaction rate

Enzymes allow chemical reactions to occur under tightly controlled conditions. Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts in living things. They speed up the reactions! Enzymes are needed for almost all processes. Most enzymes end in “ase”. Amylase = in saliva/spit break down starches Lipase = ? Protease = ?

Enzymes are involved in almost every process in organisms Digestion of foods Building proteins An enzyme’s function depends on its structure Enzymes function best in a small range of conditions, so disruptions in homeostasis will effect the enzymes function

Conditions affecting the function of an enzyme Temperature and pH break hydrogen bonds Denaturation Cell activators and Inhibitors

An enzyme’s structure allows only certain reactants to bind to the enzyme. Enzymes act as an Active Site of a reaction and are not used up Enzymes have very specific active sites where only certain substrates can bind to reduce activation energy Enzymes release products and can repeat process over again substrates (reactants) enzyme Substrates bind to an enzyme at certain places called active sites.

The Enzyme Substrate Complex Can be represented by the lock-and-key model which helps illustrate how enzymes function. substrates brought together at active sites bonds in substrates weakened and product released from enzyme VIDEO Substrates bind to an enzyme at certain places called active sites. The enzyme brings substrates together and weakens their bonds. The catalyzed reaction forms a product that is released from the enzyme.

Remember… Enzymes are a type of PROTEIN!!! There job is to regulate the body’s activities WITHOUT using too much energy. When you damage a protein, so it no longer works it becomes DENATURED.