C.7.1

Outline the basic characteristics of enzymes

 * Enzymes are protein molecules.
 * Enzymes catalyze / speed up biological reactions.
 * Enzymes are extremely efficient.
 * Can increase the rate of a reaction by more than 100 million times.
 * Provide an alternative pathway for the reaction with a lower activation energy.
 * Enzymes must be highly specific for a particular reaction.
 * This depends on their particular shape (i.e. secondary, tertiary, and quatenary structure)
 * Active site: part of the enzyme where the substrate will bind and undergo the chemical reaction.
 * Can alter its shape for a better fit (induced fit theory)