Examining Some Properties of the Enzymatic Reaction

Introduction: In this experiment a deeper meaning in the catalysts of reactions is studied. Catalysts accelerate chemical reactions without permanently changing the reaction. Enzymes, catalysts in biochemical reactions, are globular proteins which lower the activation energy needed to begin a reaction and therefore increase the rate at which efficient reactions can occur. Proteins (henceforth enzymes) are complex molecules made of amino acids in polypeptide chains held together by peptide bonds. The structure of proteins is …

…the logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration of an environment. The pH of the system can affect the structure of some enzymes. A pH of 7.0 is neutral, anything greater is base, anything less is acid. A pH differentiating from optimum the hydrogen bonds in the tertiary structure of the protein (enzyme) are altered, and again the enzyme can not function as well as before and the velocity of the reaction is decreased.