Enzymes and Substrate Interactions
This section delves into the nature and function of enzymes as biological catalysts. These protein-based molecules accelerate chemical reactions without being altered in the process.
Definition: Enzymes are protein catalysts that speed up chemical reactions while remaining unchanged at the reaction's conclusion.
Highlight: The lock and key model explains how enzymes work with specific substrates through precise molecular fitting at the active site.
The text explains how substrates bind to enzymes' active sites, forming enzyme-substrate complexes that facilitate chemical reactions.
Example: The lock and key model can be visualized as a specific key (substrate) fitting into a specific lock (enzyme's active site).
Vocabulary: Active site - The specific region of an enzyme where substrate binding and catalysis occur.
