AP Enzymes

Front

What are enzymes?

Back

Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction.

Front

What is the active site of an enzyme?

Back

The active site is the specific region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

Front

What is specificity in the context of enzymes?

Back

Specificity refers to the ability of an enzyme to select and catalyze a specific substrate, meaning each enzyme typically works with only one type of substrate.

Front

What is activation energy?

Back

Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.

Front

What is competitive inhibition?

Back

Competitive inhibition occurs when a molecule similar to the substrate competes for binding at the active site of the enzyme, preventing the actual substrate from binding.

Front

What is allosteric regulation?

Back

Allosteric regulation involves the binding of a molecule at a site other than the active site, which changes the shape of the enzyme and affects its activity.

Front

What is a substrate?

Back

A substrate is a reactant molecule upon which an enzyme acts.

Front

What is a product in enzymatic reactions?

Back

A product is a molecule that is produced as a result of the enzymatic reaction, formed after the substrate is transformed.

Front

How do enzymes lower activation energy?

Back

Enzymes lower activation energy by stabilizing the transition state and providing an alternative reaction pathway.

Front

What is noncompetitive inhibition?

Back

Noncompetitive inhibition occurs when an inhibitor binds to an enzyme at a site other than the active site, reducing the enzyme's activity regardless of substrate concentration.