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Activation Energy For The Exergonic Reactions

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According to the graph above, the activation energy for the exergonic reactions without a catalysis enzyme is much higher opposed to the reaction with a catalysis enzyme; the free energy is constant and doesn’t change whether if there is a catalysis enzyme; the transition state differs because in an exergonic reaction without a catalysis enzyme, it takes longer for the transition state to occur and has a higher energy peak requirement while if there’s a catalysis enzyme, then the transition state occurs quicker and has a lower energy peak requirement. For the endergonic reactions, the reaction without a catalysis enzyme has a higher activation energy requirement while the reaction with the catalysis enzyme has a significantly lower…show more content…
How, specifically (4 ways) do enzymes speed up reactions and why are they more appropriate than heat in living systems?
a. The four ways that enzymes speed up reactions and why are they are more appropriate than heat in living systems are: active site template, active site stretch (induced fit), active site provides a microenvironment and direct participation of the active site in the chemical reaction. For example, each enzyme has its own specific active site that only allows specific types of substrates in and allows for an enzyme-substrate complex; due to the creation of an enzyme-substrate complex, a catalysis reaction is able to occur and speed up a reaction. The next enzyme mechanism is called induced fit, and it is when an enzyme stretches a substrate molecule into a different and snug-fit transition state which allows for the stressing and bending of critical chemical bonds eventually leading to a catalysis reaction. The third enzyme mechanism is its ability to provide a “microenvironment” or providing a suitable environment for a substrate to be in (acidic, neutral, etc.) and is a key step in the formation of a catalysis reaction. The last and final mechanism of an enzyme is its ability to directly participate in a chemical reaction through brief covalent bonding between the substrate and side chain of an amino acid of an enzyme, which leads to a catalysis reaction or a sped up reaction. These are all more appropriate than heat because if the
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