Chemistry Section 24.3

Enzymes increase the rates of chemical reactions in living things

How do enzymes affect the rates of reactions in living things?

Enzymes

Proteins that act as biological catalysts

Substrates

The molecules on which an enzyme acts

Active site

The place on an enzyme where the substrate binds

Differences in the amino acid sequence

What determines the differences in the chemical and physiological properties of peptides and proteins?

Amino acids have a skeleton that consists of a carboxyl group and an amino group, both of which are covalently bonded to a carbon atom. The remaining two groups on the central carbon atom are H and an R group that constitutes the amino acid side chain.

What is the general structure of an amino acid?

The amide bonds between amino acids always involve the central amino and central carboxyl groups. The side chains are not involved in the bonding.

Which functional groups are always involved in amide bonds between amino acids?

Peptide bond

Amide bond between the carboxyl group of the next amino acid in the peptide chain

Peptide

Any combination of amino acids in which the amino group of one amino acid is united with the carboxyl group of another amino acid

Amino acid

Any compound that contains an amino group and carboxyl group in the same molecule

Protein

A peptide with more than about 100 amino acids