Enzymes (WJEC GCSE Biology)

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Cara Head

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Cara Head

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What are Enzymes?

  • Enzymes are proteins produced by cells
  • Enzymes are biological catalysts
    • Biological = they are produced and function inside living cells
    • Catalyst = they speed up the rate of chemical reactions without being changed or used up
  • Enzymes are involved with all the metabolic reactions that occur inside living cells, where they maintain reaction rates at a suitable level
    • E.g. if we did not produce digestive enzymes it would take around 2-3 weeks to digest one meal; with enzymes it takes around 4 hours
  • Examples of enzyme-controlled reactions include:
    • Building larger molecules from small molecules
    • Breaking large molecules into smaller molecules

How Different Enzymes are Formed

Higher Tier Only

  • Enzymes are proteins, molecules that are composed of many amino acids linked to form a chain, which is then folded into a specific shape
  • The specific amino acid sequence of an enzyme is important in determining its structure and therefore its function

amino acids to proteins

The sequence of amino acids determines how a protein folds, and therefore determines its structure and function

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Cara Head

Author: Cara Head

Expertise: Biology

Cara graduated from the University of Exeter in 2005 with a degree in Biological Sciences. She has fifteen years of experience teaching the Sciences at KS3 to KS5, and Psychology at A-Level. Cara has taught in a range of secondary schools across the South West of England before joining the team at SME. Cara is passionate about Biology and creating resources that bring the subject alive and deepen students' understanding