AP Enzymes

Front

What is an enzyme?

Back

An enzyme is a protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions in biological processes.

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 substrate concentration's effect on enzyme activity?

Back

Increasing substrate concentration generally increases the rate of reaction until the enzyme becomes saturated.

Front

What is enzyme saturation?

Back

Enzyme saturation occurs when all active sites of the enzyme molecules are occupied by substrate, leading to a plateau in reaction rate.

Front

What are competitive inhibitors?

Back

Competitive inhibitors are molecules that bind to the active site of an enzyme, preventing substrate from binding.

Front

What are non-competitive inhibitors?

Back

Non-competitive inhibitors bind to an enzyme at a site other than the active site, changing the enzyme's shape and reducing its activity.

Front

What is allosteric regulation?

Back

Allosteric regulation is the process by which the binding of a regulatory molecule at a site other than the active site affects enzyme activity.

Front

What is feedback inhibition?

Back

Feedback inhibition is a regulatory mechanism where the end product of a metabolic pathway inhibits an enzyme involved in its synthesis.

Front

What factors affect enzyme activity?

Back

Factors include temperature, pH, substrate concentration, and the presence of inhibitors or activators.

Front

What is the role of temperature in enzyme activity?

Back

Temperature affects enzyme activity; higher temperatures can increase reaction rates up to a point, beyond which enzymes may denature.