The Biochemistry of Movement > 9.7.4. Proteins are used as both structural molecules and enzymes to catalyse metabolic reactions > Enzymes as a Special Class of Proteins >
Identify enzymes as a special class of proteins with a binding site that is substrate specific
- Enzymes play a role in metabolism by increasing the rate of the reaction. Enzymes lower the amount of energy required for the reaction to happen, thus making it easier for the reaction to occur.
- Enzymes are proteins consisting of long chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds.
- Each enzyme is linked to only one type of reaction.
- They bind to substrates, which are reactants. The substrates bind to the active site of an enzyme.
- Because they are proteins, enzymes’ active sites are complex and made up of a unique sequence of amino acids that will only match to specific substrates. This makes the enzyme substrate specific.