Enzyme and Heavy Metals
ENZYME COFACTORS AND INHIBITORS
1. DESCRIBE THE GENERAL ROLE OF COFACTORS IN ENZYME ACTIVITY.
Some chemicals enhance an enzyme’s activity, which is what cofactors function to do. They are a non-protein component of an enzyme and may be organic molecules (called coenzymes) or inorganic ions.
2. (A) NAME FOUR HEAVY METALS THAT ARE TOXIC TO HUMANS.
Four heavy metals that are toxic to humans are:
1. Cadmium (Cd)
2. Lead (Pb)
3. Mercury (Hg)
4. Arsenic (As)
(B) EXPLAIN IN GENERAL TERMS WHY THESE HEAVY METALS ARE TOXIC TO LIFE.
These heavy metals are toxic to life because they generally bind tightly and permanently to the active sites of enzymes, thus destroying their catalytic properties and deactivating them (permanently). This therefore restricts substrates being broken down by enzymes to allow the human body to function properly since the heavy metals take similar pathways to that of essential nutrients. Metabolism and any sort of necessary chemical processes will not be preceded properly and therefore the maintenance of the living state of cells will prove to be futile as eventually they will die. (Not receiving what they require in time since enzymes speed up reactions).
3. THERE ARE MANY ENZYME INHIBITORS THAT ARE NOT HEAVY METALS (E.G. THOSE FOUND IN SOME PESTICIDES).
(a) NAME A COMMON POISON THAT IS AN ENZYME INHIBITOR, BUT NOT A HEAVY METAL.
A common poison that is an enzyme inhibitor but not a heavy metal is
(b) TRY TO FIND OUT HOW THIS POISON INTERFERES WITH ENZYME FUNCTION. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE ITS EFFECT ON A NAMED ENZYME.
4. EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPETITIVE AND NON-COMPETITIVE INHIBITION
5. EXPLAIN HOW ALLOSTERIC INHIBITORS DIFFER FROM NON-COMPETITIVE INHIBITORS
PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOSTASIS
1. IDENTIFY THE 3 MAIN COMPONENTS OF A REGULATORY CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE HUMAN BODY
There are 3 main components of a regulatory control system which are interdependent.
The receptor is what detects the stress or disturbance
1. DESCRIBE THE GENERAL ROLE OF COFACTORS IN ENZYME ACTIVITY.
Some chemicals enhance an enzyme’s activity, which is what cofactors function to do. They are a non-protein component of an enzyme and may be organic molecules (called coenzymes) or inorganic ions.
2. (A) NAME FOUR HEAVY METALS THAT ARE TOXIC TO HUMANS.
Four heavy metals that are toxic to humans are:
1. Cadmium (Cd)
2. Lead (Pb)
3. Mercury (Hg)
4. Arsenic (As)
(B) EXPLAIN IN GENERAL TERMS WHY THESE HEAVY METALS ARE TOXIC TO LIFE.
These heavy metals are toxic to life because they generally bind tightly and permanently to the active sites of enzymes, thus destroying their catalytic properties and deactivating them (permanently). This therefore restricts substrates being broken down by enzymes to allow the human body to function properly since the heavy metals take similar pathways to that of essential nutrients. Metabolism and any sort of necessary chemical processes will not be preceded properly and therefore the maintenance of the living state of cells will prove to be futile as eventually they will die. (Not receiving what they require in time since enzymes speed up reactions).
3. THERE ARE MANY ENZYME INHIBITORS THAT ARE NOT HEAVY METALS (E.G. THOSE FOUND IN SOME PESTICIDES).
(a) NAME A COMMON POISON THAT IS AN ENZYME INHIBITOR, BUT NOT A HEAVY METAL.
A common poison that is an enzyme inhibitor but not a heavy metal is
(b) TRY TO FIND OUT HOW THIS POISON INTERFERES WITH ENZYME FUNCTION. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE ITS EFFECT ON A NAMED ENZYME.
4. EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPETITIVE AND NON-COMPETITIVE INHIBITION
5. EXPLAIN HOW ALLOSTERIC INHIBITORS DIFFER FROM NON-COMPETITIVE INHIBITORS
PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOSTASIS
1. IDENTIFY THE 3 MAIN COMPONENTS OF A REGULATORY CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE HUMAN BODY
There are 3 main components of a regulatory control system which are interdependent.
The receptor is what detects the stress or disturbance