Chapter 5 Metabolism and enzymes
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5.1 Metabolism
Metabolism is the sum of chemical reactions taking place in living organisms.
A. Anabolism
Anabolism refers to the process of building up complex
molecules from simple molecules, which usually requires
energy input.
B. Catabolism
Catabolism refers to the process of breaking down
complex molecules into simpler molecules, which usually
release energy.
The energy released may be used by cells to drive other
chemical reactions or lost as heat.
5.2 The role and properties of enzymes
A. Enzymes as biological catalysts
activation energy
without enzymes
reactants activation energy with
Energy level
enzymes
products
Progress of reaction
Activation energy is the initial energy required by reactants to start a reaction.
Enzymes provide a reaction pathway with lower activation energy.
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5 Metabolism and enzymes
B. Properties of enzymes
Enzymes are protein molecules. Thus, their activity is affected by temperature & pH
Enzymes remain active outside the body.
Enzymes serve as biological catalyst to speed up metabolic reactions in organisms without
being used up or chemically altered.
Enzymes are reusable after the reactions and required in small amount.
Enzymes are highly specific in action, which catalyzes only one type of reaction by one type
of enzyme. .
Practical 5.1 Demonstration of the action of the enzyme catalase
Results and discussion
A gas is released from tube A when raw liver tissue is added to the hydrogen peroxide
solution. This gas is oxygen which relights a glowing splint.
Tube A is warm at the end of the reaction. This shows that the reaction releases heat.
No oxygen is released from tubes B, C and D (control set-ups).
Hydrogen peroxide is broken down with the addition of raw liver tissue. This is probably due
to the action of heat present in the liver tissue. No reaction occurs in tube B because boiling
the liver caused catalase to lose its function.
In some investigations, when you want to collect and compare the volume of product gas(es)
produced, you may need to use different setups that allow for such comparisons.
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5.3 How enzymes work
Each enzyme has an active site with a specific shape. Only substrates with a complementary
shape can fit and bind into the active site.
An enzyme-substrate complex is formed when the substrate collides with the enzyme and
binds to the active site of the enzyme.
The specificity of enzyme action can be explained by the lock-and-key model.
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5 Metabolism and enzymes
5.4 Factors affecting the rate of enzymatic reactions
The rate of enzymatic reactions can be measured by the rate at which substrates are used up
or the rate at which products are formed.
A. Temperature
optimum temperature for this enzyme
maximum rate
Rate of enzymatic reaction
Temperature
At low temperatures
Enzyme is inactive at low temperatures. As the temperature rises, the substrate and enzyme
molecules have more kinetic energy and collide more often. Enzyme-substrate complex are
more likely to form. The rate of reaction increases.
At the optimum temperature
The rate of an enzymatic reaction reaches its maximum at the optimum temperature.
At temperatures above the optimum temperature
The enzyme is denatured by high temperatures, which is usually irreversible. The shape of an
enzyme molecule changes, and its active site no longer fits the substrate molecule. The rate
of reaction drops rapidly.
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5 Metabolism and enzymes
Practical 5.2 Investigation of the effect of temperature on enzyme activity
Refer to Coursebook p.5-12 and SBA Practical Workbook p.5-4.
Results and discussion
The reciprocal of the time taken for starch to disappear (1/T) gives an indication of the relative rate of
the reaction catalyzed by amylase. The shorter the time required, the higher the rate of reaction.
It takes the shortest time for starch to disappear at 40 ºC. Amylase activity is the
highest at this temperature.
Starch also disappears at 20 ºC and 60 ºC, but it takes more time than at 40 ºC.
In the ice-water bath, the starch in the mixture does not disappear. This is because amylase is
inactive at such a low temperature.
Starch does not disappear at 80 ºC and 100 ºC. This is because the shape of the active site of amylase
has been changed by the high temperatures, so the amylase has become denatured and cannot
catalyze the reaction.
B. pH
salivary
protease in stomach amylase lipase
Rate of enzymatic reaction
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
pH
Enzymes work within a narrow range of pH and work best at their optimum pH.
Enzymes are denatured at pH values outside the optimum range. The shape of active sites is
altered.
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5 Metabolism and enzymes
C. Inhibitors
Key:
with inhibitor
Amount of product formed
without
inhibitor
Time
Inhibitors decrease the rate of enzymatic reactions by binding to enzyme to change the shape of
active sites or blocking the entry of the substrate into the active site.
Challenge yourself
Enzyme Q is found in the human body. The graph below shows the activity of enzyme Q at different
temperatures.
37 °C
Amount of product formed
60 °C
Time
(a) At the beginning of the reaction, the rate of product formation at 60 °C is faster than that at
37 °C because _________________________________________________
(b) After a period of time, fewer products are formed at 60 °C because
__________________________________________________________________
(c) Draw the curve for the reaction taken place at 25 °C.
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5 Metabolism and enzymes
D. Enzyme Concentration
Given that substrates are limited. Given that substrates are largely in excess.
E. Substrate Concentration
Assuming the enzyme concentration is fixed, the rate of enzymatic reaction
increases with increasing substrate concentration within certain range.
However, as substrate concentration further increases, all active sites of
enzymes are fully occupied by substrates at any given moment. As a result,
further increase in substrate concentration does not affect the reaction rate.
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5.5 Applications of enzymes in everyday life
For the details of industrial applications of enzymes, please refer to book p.20-21
Advantages of using enzymes in industrial processes:
Chemical reactions are speeded up for mass production with a higher
yield of product.
Enzymes are specific in action and less likely to generate undesirable
products.
A small amount of enzymes, which are reusable, can convert a lot of
substrates into useful products.
Reactions can occur in mild condition in the presence of enzymes and
reduce production cost.
Enzyme activity can be easily regulated by adjusting the reaction
temperature and pH.
Enzymes are non-toxic and biodegradable which can replace certain
harmful chemicals of industrial processes and produce fewer
pollutants.
Remark:
Rather than memorizing every individual application of enzymes, it is more important for you to
understand and recognize how the different properties of enzymes make them ideal catalysts in
various production processes.