Enzymes1

A detailed Summary of Enzymes1

An enzyme is a catalyst, which is a chemical agent that changes the rate of a reaction without being consumed by the reaction. The reactant that an enzyme acts on is called its substrate. While the enzyme is bound to the substrate, the catalytic action converts the substrate to the product. Because of its shape, each enzyme catalyzes a specific reaction (molecular recognition). Only a certain region of the enzyme molecule actually binds to the substrate. This area is called the active site and is usually a groove on the surface of the enzyme. The shape of the active site and the shape of the substrate fits accordantly. When the substrate enters the active site, it induces the enzyme -in a process called induced fit- to change its shape to fit tightly around the substrate. The induced fit is very important during the catalytic cycle when the substrate

Another factor is allosteric regulation. Molecules that inhibit enzyme activity may bind to an allosteric site, a receptor site separate from the active site. Complex enzymes with two or more polypeptide bonds may have allosteric sites where the polypeptides join. Also, the entire unit may oscillate between two conformational states, and the inhibitor stablizes the catalytic conformation. Cooperativity, another factor, occurs when the induced-fit binding of a substrate molecule to one polypeptide subunit can change the conformation such that the active sites of all subunits are more active.

enters the active site to form an enzyme-substrate complex. The enzymes emerge from the reaction, however, in their original form and are ready to function over and over again. When a reaction rearranges the atoms of molecules, the bonds in the reactants must be brok

Some common words found in the essay are:
, active site, substrate enters active, enters active site, enzyme molecule, environmental conditions, substrate enters, allosteric regulation, enters active, complex enzymes, activation energy,

Approximate Word count = 582
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science

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