Key Stage 4
Meaning
Enzymes are large proteins that can act as a catalyst for chemical reactions or be used to break down large molecules into smaller ones.
About Enzymes
- Organisms have a number of different enzymes that control the chemical reactions that take place inside the cytoplasm.
- Digestive enzymes are used to break down large insoluble food molecules into small soluble molecules.
- Enzymes can be denatured if the temperatures are too high or the pH is too extreme. Different enzymes have a different optimum temperature and optimum pH.
pH and Enzymes
- Enzymes have an optimum pH at which they work best. If the pH is far from this optimum value the enzyme will denature.
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| This graph shows the optimum pH for amylase. |