Enzymes as Biological Catalysts Flashcards

All 5 cards in this deck

What is an enzyme?

A biological catalyst — a protein that speeds up reactions without being used up.

What are proteins broken down into by enzymes, and which enzymes do this?

Amino acids, by proteases.

What are lipids (fats) broken down into by enzymes, and which enzyme does this?

Fatty acids and glycerol, by lipase.

What is starch broken down into by enzymes, and which enzyme does this?

Sugars, e.g. maltose and glucose, by amylase (a carbohydrase).

Besides breaking molecules down, what other role do enzymes have in the body?

They catalyse synthesis reactions — joining small molecules into large ones.
e.g. glucose molecules joined to make starch