Introduction
Temperature
Inhibitors
pH
Substrate and enzyme concentration
Enzymes and disease
Introduction
Enzymes are crucial to proper metabolic function, and ultimately life. That is why you need to know the conditions which affect enzyme activity. There are several properties which can alter enzyme function:
Temperature
Inhibitors (competitive and non-competitive)
pH
Substrate concentration
Enzymes are proteins, so have a delicate tertiary structure that enables that enzyme’s adequate function. High temperature or pH would alter its tertiary structure. Inhibitors would bind to its active site, preventing substrates from doing so. This results in no enzyme-substrate complexes being formed. Let’s have a closer look at these properties individually.
Temperature
Increasing temperature results in a higher rate of activity, up to a certain point where the enzyme becomes denatured. A high temperature causes the molecule to vibrate, breaking the weak bonds that hold it together, and changing the structure of the enzyme. This process is denaturation. The point at which this happens is usually around 50-60 degrees Celsius…