ENZYME STRUCTURE

AND FUNCTION
By Stefany Alicea

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How does the structure of an enzyme

affect its function?

ENTRANCE TICKET
What comes to mind when you hear
enzyme?

DEFINITION OF ENZYMES
Enzymesarebiologicalmolecules that catalyze
(i.e., increase the rates of) chemical reactions.
Inenzymaticreactions, the molecules at the
beginning of the process, called substrates, are
converted into different molecules, called products.

IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGY /
VOCABULARY
Active site: part of the molecule that has just the right shape and functional groups

to bind to one of the reacting molecules.

Substrate:

reacting molecule that binds to the enzyme .

A molecular structurewithin a cellor on the

surfacecharacterized by selective bindingof a specific substanceand a
specific physiologic effectthat accompanies the binding.

Receptors:

Catalyst: They speed up reactions by providing an alternative reaction pathway of

lower activation energy.

the action of making or manufacturing from components or

raw materials.

Production:
Function:

thing

an activity or purpose natural to or intended for a person or

IMPORTANT CONCEPTS TO
REMEMBER ABOUT ENZYME
Theyre selective
Have a shape that determines the enzymes specificity
They catalyze reactions
They dont ADD energy, just SPEED UP a reaction.

They are not themselves changing

An enzyme is pH and temperature sensitive.
optimal pH for most enzymes is near neutrality (7).
optimal temperature (for human enzymes is 35-40 degrees Celsius) = the

highest rate of contact between the reactants and the enzymes active site.

PRIMERY
STRUCTURE
Amino acids
are linked
together by
peptide
bonds.

SECONDARY
STRUCTURE
The

protein chain
can fold up on itself,
they can do this in
two different ways

-helix,

-sheet

TERTIARY
STRUCTURE

Protein folds onto

itself to produce a
3-D shape.

QUATERNAR
Y
STRUCTURE

Final stage of enzyme structure:

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
If anything had gone wrong in any of

these stages then it would have

changed the structure in the enzyme,
therefore altering its function.

LOCK AND
KEY
It is wellTHEORY
known that
not every key can open
every lock, and vice
versa. The same is
thought to b true of
enzymes. With respect
of the substrate
representing the key,
and the active site
being the lock, they
will only fit together
and produce a product
if they match.

ENZYME
CYCLE
This illustrates the
cycle of an enzyme,
from binding with a
substrate to producing
a product.

IMPORTANCE OF ENZYMES
To put it simply, they help speed up the
reactions that keep you alive. Without enzymes,
these reactions would take too long. Enzymes
build (build small molecules to build larger
ones) and break down (large molecules into
smaller) molecules in your body, which helps
keep everything moving.

ENZYME LAB
Question: What effect does the concentration of substrate have on the
rate of a reaction?
Hypothesis: If the concentration of substrate increases, then the rate of
the reaction will decrease.
Outcome hypothesis: for a certain period of time it will increase, but
at a point it will stay constant. Limiting factor is the amount of enzyme.
When there is an overwhelming amount it will impact the outcome.

In this lab, we tested the effects of the enzyme and the

different reactions when the amount of substrate varied
between samples. We wanted to see how reaction times
would differ

PEROXIDASE REACTION

ENZYME LAB: EXPLANATION

Hydrogen Peroxidase enzymes can be found in
numerous living organism, humans, plants & animals.
Peroxidase enzymes protect cells against the effects of
hydrogen peroxide due to the fact that Hydrogen
Peroxidase is toxic. They do this by taking it out of the
body by breaking it down into H2O and clean out the
body of the extra oxygen. This is important because
there cannot be extra oxygen ions in a living
organisms body. When there is extra oxygen ions, it
causes damage to the organism and will eventually
even kill it.

ENZYME LAB
Materials:

Procedure:

Buffer, pH Phosphate buffer,

Big beaker add 1mL of pH 5 buffer, 1mL of

Peroxidase enzyme extract in phosphate

buffer,
Pipet bulb
Pipets, serological,
Spectrophotometer
Test tubes, 13 x 100 mm, 7
Test tube rack
Timer, seconds
Control: buffer, pH 4, 18 mL

substrate, 1mL of guaiacol

Small beaker add 2mL of pH5 buffer, peroxidase

(1mL all throughout), 2 mL of phosphate buffer

Repeat steps 1-2 for trials two-four increasing

substrate by 1mL every time, and keeping

volume equilibrium.
Mix each set of two beakers and quickly place

them inside the spectrophotometer.

Start the timer
Write down the results- measuring the

absorbance on the spectrophotometer

Record data

TABLE OR
RESULTS
Here we recorded
the rate of the
reaction, with a
spectrometer,
every 20 seconds
for 5 minutes

GRAPH
Here it shows how
after a while, the
reaction didnt
speed up, but
stayed at a gradual
rate of change.

CONCLUSION
Hypothesized that the rate of the reaction would increase until a

certain point where it would plateau.

Plateau in the fourth trial
Enzymes in our bodies work at a predetermined rate,
For example, if there are 30 workers (enzymes) and each one can process
20 products (substrate) in one day, then given them each 10 or 30 products,
it wont changed how many they can process, but how many they get done.
This lab portrays this well because the concentration of enzyme

stays the same but the substrate is the only things that changes
the outcome.

IDEAL RESULT

ANSWER TO ESSENTIAL
QUESTION

Enzymes play a key part in our survival, speeding up

reactions, breaking down and building up molecules

An enzyme has an active site that can only be

stimulated by a certain substrate.

As enzymes are being made any change in structure,

in any of the four stages, will result in a change in

function.

This is true because the active site will be different

and therefore will not be able to code for the same

job.

SITES AND SOURCES

www.agscientific.com/molecular-biology/molecular-biology.html
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab2/active.html
http://www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/Resources/cfb/enzymes.htm
http://www2.swccd.edu/~mseteachingresources/msetrshare/biology/bakhie

t/BIO100/_
05_Lecture_Presentation_PC.pdf

http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Enzyme_structure_and_function
http://

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/whoami/findoutmore/yourbody/whatdoyourcell
sdo/whatisacellmadeof/whyareenzymesimportant.aspx

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Receptor

THANK YOU FOR

YOUR TIME AND
ATTENTION
Any questions or comments?