Enzymes: Biological Catalysts

An enzyme is a biological catalyst; catalysts are substances that increase the rate of chemical reactions without being used up. Enzymes also make the reaction take place more often, and are needed in small amounts; they are also neither reactants nor products. Enzymes are also proteins that are folded into complex shapes that allow molecules to fit into them. The enzymes that are involved in respiration, photosynthesis and protein synthesis work within cells whereas other enzymes are secreted by specialized cells. All digestive enzymes work like this; they pass into the gut and catalyze the breakdown of nutrients. The area where these substrate molecules fit is known as the active site. There are two methods of how the substrate molecules fit into the enzyme, one method is known as the lock and key mechanism, where the lock is the enzyme and the key is the substrate, …show more content…
Lipase is an enzyme in the body that is used to break down fats within the boy so the fats can be absorbed in the intestines. Lipase is produced with the pancreas, mouth and stomach. Most bodies produce enough lipase but bodies with conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Crohn disease and celiac disease may not have enough lipase to break down fats and get the nutrition they need because of the lack of lipase. Along with lipase the pancreas also produces insulin and glucagon, two hormones inside body needs to break sugar down into the bloodstream.
The optimum temperature for an enzyme to work at is 37.5 degrees Celsius, anything over 40 degrees will denature the enzyme and reaction time will rapidly fall. Shown in figure two is a graph of enzyme temperature. It is clearly visible in this graph that anything below 35 degrees or over 40 show a slow reaction rate with the