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IGCSE Biology CIE 

5.1 Enzymes

CONTENTS
5.1.1 Enzymes
5.1.2 Enzyme Investigations
5.1.3 Enzyme Action & Specificity: Extended
5.1.4 Enzymes & Temperature: Extended
5.1.5 Enzymes & pH: Extended

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5.1.1 Enzymes YOUR NOTES

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What Are Enzymes?

Enzymes are:
Catalysts that speed up the rate of a chemical reaction without being changed or
used up in the reaction
Proteins
Biological catalysts (biological because they are made in living cells, catalysts
because they speed up the rate of chemical reactions without being changed)
Necessary to all living organisms as they maintain reaction speeds of all metabolic
reactions (all the reactions that keep an organism alive) at a rate that can sustain life
For example, 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

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How Do Enzymes Work? YOUR NOTES

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Enzyme substrate specificity

Enzymes are specific to one particular substrate (molecule/s that get broken down or
joined together in the reaction) as the enzyme is a complementary shape to the substrate
The product is made from the substrate(s) and is released

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Enzyme specificity: lock and key model of enzyme activity

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5.1.2 Enzyme Investigations YOUR NOTES

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Investigating the Effect of Temperature on Amylase YOUR NOTES

Starch solution is heated to a set temperature 
Iodine is added to wells of a spotting tile
Amylase is added to the starch solution and mixed well
Every minute, droplets of solution are added to a new well of iodine solution
This is continued until the iodine stops turning blue-black (this means there is no more
starch left in the solution as the amylase has broken it all down)
Time taken for the reaction to be completed is recorded
Experiment is repeated at different temperatures
The quicker the reaction is completed, the faster the enzyme is working

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Investigating the effect of temperature on enzyme activity

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Investigating the Effect of pH on Amylase YOUR NOTES

Place single drops of iodine solution in rows on the tile 
Label a test tube with the pH to be tested
Use the syringe to place 2cm3 of amylase in the test tube
Add 1cm3 of buffer solution to the test tube using a syringe
Use another test tube to add 2cm3 of starch solution to the amylase and buffer solution,
start the stopwatch whilst mixing using a pipette
After 10 seconds, use a pipette to place one drop of mixture on the first drop of iodine,
which should turn blue-black
Wait another 10 seconds and place another drop of mixture on the second drop of iodine
Repeat every 10 seconds until iodine solution remains orange-brown
Repeat experiment at different pH values - the less time the iodine solution takes to remain
orange-brown, the quicker all the starch has been digested and so the better the enzyme
works at that pH

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Investigating the effect of pH on enzyme activity

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Exam Tip YOUR NOTES

 Describing and explaining experimental results for enzyme experiments is a common

type of exam question so make sure you understand what is happening and, for a 7,
8 or 9, can relate this to changes in the active site of the enzyme when it has
denatured, or if it is a low temperature, relate it to the amount of kinetic energy the
molecules have.

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5.1.3 Enzyme Action & Specificity: Extended YOUR NOTES

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Enzyme Action & Specificity: Extended
Enzymes are specific to one particular substrate(s) as the active site of the enzyme, where
the substrate attaches, is a complementary shape to the substrate
This is because the enzyme is a protein and has a specific 3-D shape
This is known as the lock and key hypothesis
When the substrate moves into the enzyme’s active site they become known as the
enzyme-substrate complex
After the reaction has occurred, the products leave the enzyme’s active site as they no
longer fit it and it is free to take up another substrate

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How enzymes work

1. Enzymes and substrates randomly move about in solution

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2. When an enzyme and its complementary substrate randomly collide - with the substrate YOUR NOTES
fitting into the active site of the enzyme - an enzyme-substrate complex forms, and the 
reaction occurs.
3. A product (or products) forms from the substrate(s) which are then released from the
active site. The enzyme is unchanged and will go on to catalyse further reactions.

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5.1.4 Enzymes & Temperature: Extended YOUR NOTES

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Enzymes & Temperature: Extended YOUR NOTES

Enzymes are proteins and have a specific shape, held in place by bonds 
This is extremely important around the active site area as the specific shape is what
ensures the substrate will fit into the active site and enable the reaction to proceed
Enzymes work fastest at their ‘optimum temperature’ – in the human body, the optimum
temperature is 37⁰C
Heating to high temperatures (beyond the optimum) will break the bonds that hold the
enzyme together and it will lose its shape -this is known as denaturation
Substrates cannot fit into denatured enzymes as the shape of their active site has been lost
Denaturation is irreversible - once enzymes are denatured they cannot regain their proper
shape and activity will stop

Effect of temperature on enzyme activity

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Increasing the temperature from 0⁰C to the optimum increases the activity of enzymes as YOUR NOTES
the more energy the molecules have the faster they move and the number of collisions 
with the substrate molecules increases, leading to a faster rate of reaction
This means that low temperatures do not denature enzymes, they just make them work
more slowly

Graph showing the effect of temperature on the rate of enzyme activity

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5.1.5 Enzymes & pH: Extended YOUR NOTES

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Enzymes & pH: Extended YOUR NOTES

The optimum pH for most enzymes is 7 but some that are produced in acidic conditions, 
such as the stomach, have a lower optimum pH (pH 2) and some that are produced in
alkaline conditions, such as the duodenum, have a higher optimum pH (pH 8 or 9)
If the pH is too high or too low, the bonds that hold the amino acid chain together to make
up the protein can be destroyed
This will change the shape of the active site, so the substrate can no longer fit into it,
reducing the rate of activity
Moving too far away from the optimum pH will cause the enzyme to denature and activity
will stop

Effect of pH on enzyme activity

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Graph showing the effect of pH on rate of activity for an enzyme from the duodenum

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