• IDENTIFY THE ROLE OF ENZYMES IN METABOLISM, DESCRIBE THEIR CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND USE A SIMPLE MODEL TO DEMOSTRATE THEIR SPECIFITY ON SUBSTRATES.
Enzymes are biological catalysts this means that they lower the energy required to start a chemical reaction within a cell but don’t get used up by that reaction. Every reaction and process in the metabolism of the cell is controlled by a specific enzyme.
Enzymes are globular proteins whose shapes are specialised so that substrates can form a temporary bond with them. The model that best describes that is the “lock and key”. This is where only one part of the enzyme molecule can form a complex with the substrate. This part is called the active site.
• IDENTIFY THE pH AS A WAY OF DESCRIBING THE ACIDITY OF A SUBSTRATE
PH is a scale related to the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution.
PH value of 0-6 indicates an acidic solution. 7PH indicates a neutral solution and 8 – 14 is an alkaline solution.
• EXPLAIN WHY THE MAINTENANCE OF A CONSTANT INTERVAL ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT FOR OPTIMUM METABOLIC EFFIENCY
Enzymes control all metabolic reactions and processes in the body.
Enzymes work optimally in an environment where the optimum temperature and PH conditions are met. At temperatures and PH other than the optimum, the enzymes fail to work as efficient as they should, or not at all.
• DESCRIBE HOMEOSTATIS AS THE PROCESS BY WHICH ORGANISMS MAINTAIN A RELATIVELY STABLE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT.
Homeostasis is the process by which the internal environment is kept within normal limits regardless of the external environmental conditions. This includes things such as Temperature, PH, Gas Levels, Water and Salt concentration. This allows the enzyme optimum to be met and the body to work efficiently and to be kept stable.
• EXPLAIN THAT HOMEOSTASIS CONSISTS OF TWO STAGES – DETECTING CHANGES FROM STABLE STATE AND – COUNTER REACTING CHANGES FROM STABLE STATE.
A receptor