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Enzymes are complex protein structures that function as biological catalysts - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 6 - 2010 - Paper 1
Question 6
Enzymes are complex protein structures that function as biological catalysts. a. Why does a particular enzyme generally only catalyse a specific reaction? Inverter... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Enzymes are complex protein structures that function as biological catalysts - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 6 - 2010 - Paper 1
Step 1
Why does a particular enzyme generally only catalyse a specific reaction?
Answer
Enzymes are highly specific due to their unique active sites, which are shaped to fit specific substrate molecules. This specificity arises from the enzyme's structure, particularly the arrangement of amino acids that form the active site. Any change in the substrate or the enzyme can hinder the enzyme's ability to catalyze the reaction effectively.
Step 2
Step 3
Why does changing the pH from the optimum value cause a decrease in the activity of the enzyme?
Answer
Changing the pH from its optimum value alters the enzyme's tertiary structure, which affects the shape of the active site. This can lead to a decreased ability of the enzyme to bind to its substrate, reducing its overall activity.
Step 4
Calculate the mass of glucose produced in 30 minutes.
Answer
The activity of invertase is 300 mmol glucose/mg invertase. First, we need the mass of invertase in mg from the given amount:
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Convert grams to mg:
1.00 × 10^{-6} g = 0.000001 g = 0.001 mg
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Now calculate the total amount of glucose produced:
300 ext{ mmol} imes 0.001 ext{ mg} = 0.3 ext{ mmol} ext{ glucose} imes 180 ext{ mg/mmol} = 54 ext{ mg} ext{ glucose}
Therefore, the total mass of glucose produced is 54 mg.