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Chapter 16: Problem 6

What are enzymes, and what common features do they all share?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Enzymes are biological catalysts, mainly proteins, that speed up biochemical reactions in the body. They have an active site for substrate binding, exhibit specificity for their substrate, and work optimally under certain conditions of temperature and pH.

Step by step solution

01

Defining Enzymes

Begin the definition by explaining that enzymes are a type of protein that function as biological catalysts. A catalyst is a substance that speeds up chemical reactions without being consumed by the reaction itself.
02

Explain Enzymes' Role

Explain the role of enzymes. They are essential for the body as they facilitate and speed up the biochemical reactions necessary for life, such as digestion of food and synthesis of DNA in cells. The reaction may occur very slowly or not at all without the presence of enzymes.
03

Discuss Common Features

Discuss the common features that enzymes share. Enzymes all contain an active site to which specific substrate molecules bind. They also typically only catalyse one or a few types of reaction, suggesting they have specificity for their substrate. Furthermore, enzymes operate best under certain environmental conditions, such as temperature and pH.

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