About Lesson
Properties of Enzymes
- Are specific in nature.
An enzyme will only act on a particular substrate.
Sucrase acts on sucrose
Lactase acts on lactose.
- Are protein in nature.
- Catalyse reactions without being used up.
- Are required in small quantities during reaction.
- They catalyse reversible reactions.
Functions of Enzymes
- Speed up metabolic reactions.
Mechanism of enzyme action
Enzymes have active sites onto which substrate molecules get attached and catalytic reactions take place with the formation of products.
The site has a particular shape onto which only a particular substrate(s) will fit. This is just the same way a particular key will fit into a particular lock.
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