What is an enzyme?
An enzyme is a type of protein molecule which act as a substance to increase the speed of a chemical reaction without changing it's self. These enzymes help the more complex chemical reactions happen in an organism. They each have a very specific job and you will never find one enzyme out of place and in a part of the organism where it does not belong. Enzymes are kind of programmed with a specific task, only able to do that ask over and over again to the same type of molecule; because of this fact their structure is very specific as well.
How do enzymes work?
Enzymes work in about four simple steps.
- An enzyme and it's substrate, or molecule that needs to be changed by that specific enzyme, are in the same area. Sometimes more than one substrate can be there for one enzyme to change.
- The enzyme will grab or latch onto the substrate molecule at a specific point called the active site. This combination is called the enzyme/substrate complex. This active site will be shaped how the enzyme is shaped since enzymes are very specific and cannot connect to an substrate that is not meant for it.
- The substrate will start to change in a process called catalysis. This is when the substrate is going through the change that the enzyme sped up. The substrate may be broken down or combined with a different molecule during this process to create something new. When finished with the change the new combination between molecule and enzyme will be called the enzyme/products complex.
- The enzyme will release the product. When the enzyme released the new product it will return to it's original shape and be ready to repeat the process with another molecule.
What factors inhibit enzyme actions?
Enzymes can be controlled or inhibited by simple factors that the organism it is living in goes through or creates to slow the process of the enzymes as they change their molecules. These factors are:
- Temperature: Proteins tend to change shape as the temperature changes around them and since enzyme activity is based off shape this can mess up the enzyme's process and halt the production of new molecules. If temperature's get to high this may lead to the enzyme to denature (destroy the characteristic properties), and break up.
- PH Levels: The acidity, level of acid, of an environment can change proteins just like temperature can. If the acidity changes near an enzyme it can cause the molecule to change shape. The polar and non-polar part of the enzyme will start to twist and if there is enough of a change the enzyme may unravel entirely and become completely ineffective.
- Inhibitors: Inhibitors are made by the body to slow down or stop the activity of enzymes. These inhibitors will most likely bond with a protein molecule and change the whole shape of an enzyme. Meaning that the enzyme can not work in the same way as it did before.