Why does enzyme activity change the most under acid pH and hot temperatures?

Question

I need to know for Advanced Biology... :(

Answer 1

The enzyme denatures at high heat and with acid pH.

Answer 2

Enzymes are proteins.

Proteins can be denatured by heat, after a critical temperature this denaturing is generally permanent.

Acidity affects the structure of an amino acid - becuase pH affects molecular structure. Amino acids will gain or lose electrons or protons depending on pH (FYI in chemistry and biochemistry a hydrogen atom without it's electron is referred to as a "proton" becuase the nucleus has only a proton, hydrogen atoms with neutrons are extremely rare). The loss or gain of electrons or protons affects structure and charge of the amino acids, and hence can influence structure and function of an enzyme.

Of course, acidic pH does not always reduce enzyme function - in the human body there are some enzymes that only function in highly acidic pH (think about your stomach!)... this is becuase the change in amino acid charge at this pH alters the enzyme structure and actually ACTIVATES the enzyme!

Answer 3

every enzyme in the body has a different optimum pH level and temp. The further you take an enzyme away from its optimum range the more it denatures (an important term when discussing this in school). Denaturing occurs when an enzyme straightens out from its usual tangled self, destroying the active site where chemical reactions are catalised.... now to your question an enzyme does not always denature under a higher pH or temp considering every enzyme is different eg and Enzyme in your stomach has an optimum pH much higher than one in your blood, it just so hapens to be that the rate of denaturation occurs faster when take it further and further away from its optimum range, not beacause it was put in a more acidic or hotter solution

Answer 4

Enzymes are proteins, which are biomolecules that are made out of amino acids monomers held by hydrogen bonds and other covalent bonds. The high heat might alter the configurations of the protein structure by changing the behaviour of the bonds. For the pH levels, it can affect the protein structure as the pH level also indicates the concentration of H ions, thus affecting the existing hydrogen bonds.

Answer 5

i believe peter in this one - A:hydrogen bonds. modifications in temperature and pH will reason proteins to denature hence inflicting them to lose their function. denaturation would not reason the breaking of peptide bonds even nonetheless it reasons differences interior the form of the protein inflicting it to be non-clever. using fact the form of the protein is held at the same time by way of a chain of hydrogen bonds, the respond may well be A.