Can Anyone Explain Enzymes To Me?

Question

My Biology teacher obviously uses scientific words and such and I'm completely lost. I'm not dumb I just need Enzymes explained in an easier format....

Answer 1

Easier format (?):

1.They are organic (a carbon compound) catalysts . This means that they can change the rate of a chemical reaction ; i.e., how fast the reaction takes place.
2.They are chemically composed of protein (proteins contain the element nitrogen).
3.Enzymes are specific; they only react with specific substrates(that's the substances that enzymes react with).
examples: Lipase (an enzyme) will only react with lipids(fats,oils), which is the substrate.
Amylase will only react with starch,etc.
The "lock&key" theory explains this "enzyme specificity".
4. How fast the enzyme does its job depends upon:
The temperature, the pH (acid or base),how much enzyme or substrate is present.
5.Enzyme names usually end in "ase".
6. After they do their job, like digestion (hydrolysis) of food,
the same enzyme can be used over and over again.

Answer 2

I've put a couple of good links below. And to add something here, below I've put a bit about *how* enzymes lower the activation energy of a reaction:

In 1894 Emil Fischer suggested that enzyme specificity arose because both the enzyme and the substrate possess specific complementary geometric shapes that fit exactly into one another. This is often referred to as "the lock and key" model. However, while this model explains enzyme specificity, it fails to explain the stabilization of the transition state that enzymes achieve. The "lock and key" model has proven inaccurate and the induced fit model is the most currently accepted enzyme-substrate-coenzyme figure.

In 1958 Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. suggested a modification to the lock and key model: since enzymes are rather flexible structures, the active site is continually reshaped by interactions with the substrate as the substrate interacts with the enzyme. As a result, the substrate does not simply bind to a rigid active site, the amino acid side chains which make up the active site are molded into the precise positions that enable the enzyme to perform its catalytic function. In some cases, such as glycosidases, the substrate molecule also changes shape slightly as it enters the active site. The active site continues to change until the substrate is completely bound, at which point the final shape and charge is determined.

Answer 3

The conformation of an enzyme is maintained by interactions between the various amino acids that compose it, and this conformation is sensitive to changes in the enzyme's environment. Two important influences are pH and temperature. When an enzyme's conformation is significantly altered because of pH or temperature variation, the enzyme may no longer catalyze reactions. An enzyme is said to be denatured when it loses its functional shape.

Answer 4

Enzymes are protein catalysts that work by reduce the activation energy to speed up the reaction.

A catalyst is something that speeds up a reaction. For example if you had hydrogen and Oxygen you could combine them to make water. However, if you added a catalyst they would make water even faster.

So basically you add a special enzyme to speed up a biological reaction.

They:
1) Reduce activation energy
2) Increase rate of reaction
3) Are not used up during the reaction.
4) Do not effect the overall energy change of the reaction. (start energy - end energy)

Remember this, enzymes are usually reaction specific.

Peace and Love, I hope you understood my explanation.

Answer 5

Enzymes are a catalyst, and they reduce the activation energy required for a reaction to occur.

Basically, they speed up chemical reactions.