Biochemistry Task 4 Grt1

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Metabolism GRT1 Task 4 Sara E Boyd WGU May 28, 2015 Enzymes are complex proteins that are used as a catalyst in a reaction. A catalyst is used to lower the activation energy needed to complete the reaction. It can be used to speed up the reaction. An enzyme must have a specific shape and have a activation site. Enzymes have specific characteristics. First they can be very sensitive to temperature, for example if it's in a high temperature the reaction most likely will be fast and if it's in a cooler temperature than the reaction will be slower. Second, enzymes are very sensitive to PH changes by having an effect on the shape of the enzyme active site. Next the enzyme can be inhibited or enhanced by a chemical. This can be either permanent or temporary depending on the type of inhibitor. A competitive inhibitor will fight the substrate for the active site, but this is temporary. A noncompetitive inhibitor with attach to a different portion of the enzyme changing the active site permanently. The last two characteristics of enzyme catalyst or steps in the reaction cycle is the release of an end product and the enzymes ability to be recycled to start the process all over. (Wolfe, 2000) Sucrose also known as table sugar breaks down to glucose and fructose naturally by the body. Glucose goes off to start in glycolysis. Fructose is broken down by and enzyme named fructokinase in the liver. Once fructokinase, the enzyme, and fructose, the substrate, attach at the enzymes active site then the product that is released is called fructose-1-phospate and the enzyme fructokinase is recycled back to start process all over. The second step in fructose metabolism is the breaking down of fructose-1-phospate by an enzyme called adolase B. Once the substrate of fructose-1-phospate attaches to the active site of the enzyme
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