2.2.1

Enzymes

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Enzymes

Enzymes increase the speed of reactions. They are often called biological catalysts. An enzyme's active site is very important:

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Active site

  • To catalyse (speed up) a reaction, the reacting chemical (substrate) must bind to the enzyme's active site.
  • The active site will only fit specific substrates.
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Lock and key

  • The active site is like a lock and the substrate is like a key.
  • In the same way, there is usually only one enzyme for every substrate (or one key for each lock).

Jump to other topics

1Cell Biology

1.1What's in Cells?

1.2Cell Division

1.3Transport in Cells

2Organisation

2.1Principles of Organisation

2.2Enzymes

2.3Circulatory System

2.4Non-Communicable Diseases

2.5Plant Tissues, Organs & Systems

3Infection & Response

4Bioenergetics

5Homeostasis & Response

5.1Homeostasis

5.2The Human Nervous System

5.3Hormonal Coordination in Humans

5.4Plant Hormones

6Inheritance, Variation & Evolution

7Ecology

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