Enzymes
Biology: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 2.2.4
Enzymes
Enzymes increase the speed of reactions. They are often called biological catalysts. The active site of an enzyme is very important:
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.
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).
Test yourself on Enzymes
What is another name for an enzyme?
Which of the following describe an enzyme's active site?