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Unit 1: Cells and multicellular organisms
Quick questions on Enzymes as biological catalysts and factors affecting activity (QCE Biology Unit 1)
7short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is how enzymes work?Show answer
An enzyme provides an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy. Substrate molecules bind to a specific region of the enzyme (the active site), reaction occurs and product is released.
What is factors affecting enzyme activity?Show answer
Enzyme activity is usually measured as reaction rate (product formed or substrate consumed per unit time).
What is cofactors and coenzymes?Show answer
Some enzymes need a non-protein helper: - Cofactors are inorganic ions (Mg2+ for ATPases, Zn2+ for carbonic anhydrase, Fe2+ for catalase). - Coenzymes are organic molecules, often derived from vitamins (NAD+ from niacin, FAD from riboflavin, coenzyme A from pantothenate). Many shuttle electrons in respiration and photosynthesis.
What is saying enzymes "are used up" in the reaction?Show answer
They are not consumed; one enzyme can catalyse thousands of turnovers.
What is calling denaturation a reversible "loss of shape"?Show answer
It is usually irreversible: hydrogen and ionic bonds break, and the enzyme cannot refold spontaneously.
What is treating pH and temperature curves as identical bell shapes?Show answer
They look similar, but the underlying mechanism is different. pH disrupts charge-based bonding within the active site; temperature provides energy or breaks the tertiary fold.
What is confusing competitive and non-competitive on the substrate axis?Show answer
Adding more substrate rescues a competitive inhibitor but not a non-competitive one.
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