2.11: Understand How Temperature Chances can Affect Enzyme Function, Including Changes to the Shape of Active Site

ENZYMES: Protein molecule that acts as a biological catalyst by speeding up the rate of specific reaction without being used up or affected
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• Enzymes are biological catalyst in metabolic reactions (digestion) as they allow substrates to bind onto their active site, breaking them down into products

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON ENZYME ACTIVITY

Diagram showing the Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity

EXPLANATION: As the temperature increases towards optimum, the rate of enzyme activity increases This is because as temperature increases, enzymes and substrates will gain kinetic energy, vibrating and moving faster This allows more frequent successful enzyme-substrate collisions to occur, increasing the rate in which substrates are broken down, hence increasing enzyme activity However, as temperatures exceed optimum, enzymes will denature This is because high temperatures causes bonds to vibrate more, increasing chance of bonds within enzyme breaking When bonds in enzymes break, shape and structure of active site will change, diminishing the ability of substrate to bind to active site of enzyme Therefore, enzymes denature and metabolic reactions cannot take place