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Ch. 2 The Chemical Level of Organization
Martini - Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology 12th Edition
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew12th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy and PhysiologyISBN: 9780137854011Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksMartini, Nath, Bartholomew 12th EditionCh. 2 The Chemical Level of OrganizationProblem 24
Chapter 2, Problem 24

Explain how enzymes function in chemical reactions.

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1
Understand that enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed in the process.
Recognize that enzymes work by lowering the activation energy required for a reaction to proceed, making it easier for reactants to convert into products.
Identify the active site of the enzyme, which is a specific region where substrate molecules bind, forming an enzyme-substrate complex.
Explain that the enzyme stabilizes the transition state and properly orients the substrates, facilitating the conversion to products.
Note that after the reaction, the products are released from the enzyme, which remains unchanged and ready to catalyze another reaction.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Enzyme Structure and Active Site

Enzymes are proteins with a specific three-dimensional structure that includes an active site. The active site is where substrates bind, allowing the enzyme to catalyze a chemical reaction by stabilizing the transition state and lowering activation energy.
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Enzyme Activation Energy

Catalysis and Activation Energy

Enzymes speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to proceed. This makes reactions occur faster without being consumed in the process, enabling biological processes to happen efficiently at normal temperatures.
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Enzymes Lower Activation Energy

Substrate Specificity and Enzyme-Substrate Complex

Enzymes are highly specific to their substrates, binding only certain molecules to form an enzyme-substrate complex. This specificity ensures that enzymes catalyze only particular reactions, which is crucial for regulating metabolic pathways.
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Enzyme-Substrate Complex
Related Practice
Textbook Question

In an exergonic reaction,

(a) Large molecules are broken down into smaller ones.

(b) Small molecules are assembled into larger ones.

(c) Molecules are rearranged to form new molecules.

(d) Molecules move from reactants to products and back.

(e) Energy is released during the reaction.

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Textbook Question

A dehydration synthesis reaction between glycerol and a single fatty acid would yield a(n)

(a) Micelle

(b) Omega-3 fatty acid

(c) Triglyceride

(d) Monoglyceride

(e) Diglyceride

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Textbook Question

What three components are required to create the high-energy compound ATP?

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Textbook Question

Explain the differences among nonpolar covalent bonds, polar covalent bonds, and ionic bonds.

Textbook Question

What is a salt? How does a salt differ from an acid or a base?

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Textbook Question

If a polypeptide contains 10 peptide bonds, how many amino acids does it contain?

(a) 9

(b) 10

(c) 11

(d) 12

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