Factors That Affect Enzymatic Activity

• Fourthly, we kept the temperature at a constant 25°C using a water bath. At low temperatures, an increase in temperature causes an exponential increase in enzyme activity. This is because an increase in temperature provides more kinetic energy for the collisions of enzymes and substrates, so

The temperature can have a major impact on an enzyme. According to Campbell Biology author Reece etc. 2011 “The enzyme reaction will increase as the temperature increase with the increasing temperature….substrates collide with active sites more frequently when the molecules move rapidly.”(Reece etc 2011) Every enzyme hits its optimal temperature the reaction will be at its highest point.(Reece etc. 2011) When the

Enzymes are types of proteins that work as a substance to help speed up a chemical reaction (Madar & Windelspecht, 104). There are three factors that help enzyme activity increase in speed. The three factors that speed up the activity of enzymes are concentration, an increase in temperature, and a preferred pH environment. Whether or not the reaction continues to move forward is not up to the enzyme, instead the reaction is dependent on a reaction’s free energy. These enzymatic reactions have reactants referred to as substrates. Enzymes do much more than create substrates; enzymes actually work with the substrate in a reaction (Madar &Windelspecht, 106). For reactions in a cell it is

Temperature controls the speed the enzymes work at. Higher temperatures increase the kinetic energy which increases the chance of collision therefore speeding up the rate of

As the temperature increases, so will the rate of enzyme reaction. However, as the temperature exceeds the optimum the rate of reaction will decrease.

These results show how temperature of extreme high, or low affects enzyme activity. The highest rate of enzyme activity occurred at 37 Cº. Anything that was hotter or cold than 37 Cº slowed the reaction rate. As I thought, 100 degrees would denature the enzyme, and that was the case. The data provided shows exactly what temperatures enzymes work best, and worst. The objective was achieved as we discovered the different reaction rates under different temperatures. The results are reliable, as we know enzymes do not work well when under extreme heat or denaturation occurs. What I learned in this experiment was that enzymes don’t work well under cold temperatures because they tend to move slower. My hypothesis did not quite match, because I thought they work best at lower temperatures.

Most enzymes work best at body temperature, higher temps will cause the enzyme to no longer work properly

If temperature of the water(enzyme environment) is increased to 35°C, then the enzyme activity will

As stated in the introduction, three conditions that may affect enzyme activity are salinity, temperature, and pH. In experiment two, we explored how temperature can affect enzymatic activity. Since most enzymes function best at their optimum temperature or room temperature, it was expected that the best reaction is in this environment. The higher the temperature that faster the reaction unless the enzyme is denatured because it is too hot. Similarly, pH and salinity can affect enzyme activity.

The optimal temperature permits the utmost number of molecular collisions and the fastest alteration of the reactants to product molecules. Most human enzymes have an optimal temperature of about 35-40°C (close to body temperature 37°C).

However if the temperature exceeds the optimum temperature the enzyme becomes denatured. This is because there is too much energy causing the enzyme molecules to vibrate causing the bonds maintaining their tertiary structure to break. The enzyme unravels causing the shape of the active site to change so it can no longer fit with the substrate.

“Enzymes are proteins that have catalytic functions” [1], “that speed up or slow down reactions”[2], “indispensable to maintenance and activity of life”[1]. They are each very specific, and will only work when a particular substrate fits in their active site. An active site is “a region on the surface of an enzyme where the substrate binds, and where the reaction occurs”[2].

reaction rate increases. If the temperature of an enzyme gets to high the reaction rate will slow

Thermoregulation is important, especially in humans, as temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius cause enzymes to denature rapidly. Enzymes have an optimal range for catalysing reactions. Temperatures below this cause for the rate at which reactions occur to decrease, whereas temperatures above this can lead to the denaturing of enzymes and important metabolic reactions unable to occur. Therefore it is essential for enzymes in the body to be functioning.

Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts and help reactions take place. In short, enzymes reduce the energy needed for a reaction to take place, permitting a reaction to take place more easily. Some enzymes are shape specific and reduce the energy for certain reactions. Enzymes have unique folds of the amino acid chain which result in specifically shaped active sites (Frankova Fry 2013). When substrates fit in the active site of an enzyme, then it is able to catalyze the reaction. Enzyme activity is affected by the concentrations of the enzymes and substrate present (Worthington 2010). As the incidence of enzyme increases, the rate of reaction increases. Additionally, as the incidence of substrate increases so does the rate of reaction.