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Today was something i like to call rapid-fire information day.
After an intense test last class, we started off today with a new chapter, Chapter 8. This chapter is about cell metabolism and enzymes plus the flow of energy. Life is built upon chemical reactions and energy transfers from one form to another. All energy ultimately comes from the sun and plants are the only things that can take sunlight and convert it to energy. (this is the part where the teacher showed the class a picture of a lion eating a giraffe)
With metabolism there are two different chemical reactions, forming bonds(anabolic) and breaking bonds(catatonic). Some Chemical reactions release energy, such as Exergonic reactions, like in digestion. Other chemical reactions requite input of energy like Endergonic reactions, and dehydration synthesis.
To Activate energy, Catalysts are used to reduce the amount of energy to start the reactions. Enzymes are used to reduce the activation of energy. THe enzyme substrate is a reactant the binds to enzymes, the product is the end of the reaction. The Enzymes active site is a catalytic site where the substrate sits into the active site.
Enzymes are Reaction specific where they each work with specific substrate, with a special chemical fit between the two of them. The enzymes are unique by the fact that a single one can catalyze thousands of reactions but the enzymes themselves aren’t affected at all. The only way they are affected by cellular conditions that affect protein structure, such as the temperature, pH. or salinity.
Naming the enzymes is easy. For example:
Lipases break down lipids and Proteases break down proteins.
Lock and Key model is a vague way of showing how the enzymes react. The more accurate is the Induced fit model. This substrate binding causes the enzyme to alter its shape to create a tighter fit. (the conformational change brings chemical groups into positions for catalystic reactions.)
