06/02/2025

Enzymes

Igcse Edexcel Biology

Starter-Copy and complete
• Proteins are large molecules made from
smaller units called _____ _____ joined by
peptide bonds.

• There are only _____ different types of _______

________found in proteins.
• Cells make proteins.
• There are many different proteins in a living
organism.
• Each protein has a different _____and _______It
is the ________of amino acids in the protein that
gives the protein a specific shape and so a
specific job.
Amino acids
shape Amino acids 20
sequence
function
 Learning outcomes
In this lesson, students will learn to:
• define the term biological catalyst
• explain the action of enzymes on
substrates
• explain the effect of temperature on
enzyme activity.
 Specification references

2.10 :understand the role of enzymes

as biological catalysts in metabolic
reactions.

2.11:understand how temperature

changes can affect enzyme function,
including changes to the shape of
active site.
 Enzymes
• Enzymes are proteins with a specific
shape which act as a biological catalyst

Catalysts-is a substance that speeds up a

chemical reaction, but remains unchanged
by the reaction
Properties of enzymes- summary

Enzymes ….
Are made by living cells
Are proteins
Are specific
Speed up chemical reactions in living
cells
Are unchanged by the process (so
can be re-used)
 Learning Outcomes (LO3) State the
properties of enzymes and their importance
to living cells

Learning check
On your post-it note write down what it is
that enzymes do and why you think that
this is important.

Hand it in on your way out of the lesson.

 Enzyme Action
catalase
 Hydrogen peroxide water + oxygen

 Enzymes act by binding with their

substrate
to form end-products
 Enzymes are specific
 So only one enzyme can bind with one
substrate
Questions
Using the above enzyme action example, name the :
1. Enzyme
2. Substrate
3. Products
• The enzyme and the substrate bind at the active site
of the enzyme
• The shape of the active site is complementary to the
shape of a specific substrate
• The shape of the active site depends on the sequence
of amino acids that make up the enzyme (protein)
• The enzyme and the substrate bind
at the active site of the enzyme
• The shape of the active site is
complementary to the shape of a
specific substrate
• The shape of the active site depends
on the sequence of amino acids that
make up the enzyme (protein)
 Factors affecting Enzyme Action 06/02/2025
06/02/2025

Keywords: Denature, pH, temperature, optimum, reaction,

extremophile

Learning activity :Match the key words to the definitions.

EXT: What is the optimum temperature for human amylase enzymes?

Catalyst The substance that is broken down

Substrate A biological catalyst that speed up reactions

Product The region of the enzyme where the reaction

takes place
Enzyme
The process that describes making something new
Metabolism Something produced during the reaction of an
Active site enzyme and substrate

Something that speeds up a reaction

Catalyst The substance an enzyme acts upon

Substrate A biological catalyst that speed up

reactions

Product The region of the enzyme where the

reaction takes place

Describes how the shape of the

Enzyme substrate fits the shape of the enzyme

The process that describes making

Lock and Key something new

Something produced during the

Active site reaction of an Enzyme and Substrate

Something that speeds up a reaction

Synthesis
Catalyst The substance an enzyme acts upon

Substrate A biological catalyst that speed up

reactions

Product The region of the enzyme where the

reaction takes place

Describes how the shape of the

Enzyme substrate fits the shape of the enzyme

The process that describes making

Lock and Key something new

Something produced during the

Active site reaction of an Enzyme and Substrate

Something that speeds up a reaction

Synthesis
 Lock & Key Theory for
enzyme action
• The enzyme (key) has a specific
shape to fit with the substrate
(lock)
• After the reaction, the enzyme
remains unchanged and can be
used again by the cell.
Active
site
 Think-pair-share
• Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up the
rate of biological reactions.
Using the information above, what are the reactions
that an enzyme catalyses? 2mks

1. Breakdown of molecules to smaller molecules

2. Synthesis of large molecules from large molecules
 Breakdown Reactions
 They involve enzymes that
break down larger molecules
into smaller molecules

 Catalase
 Amylase
 Pepsin
 Lipase

Importance to cells :
 To break down harmful/toxic
substances
 To break down food in the
digestive tract for absorption

Task : Name the substrates that the above enzymes

breakdown
What are the products formed ?
Activity of amylase on
starch
 Synthesis Reactions
 Synthesis reactions involve
enzymes that build up
smaller molecules to larger
molecules

 Phosphorylase

Importance to cells :
 To store glucose as starch in
plants
 To store glucose as glycogen
in animals
 To make proteins :
- enzymes, hormones, cell
membrane proteins
Activity of phosphorylase on
Glucose-1-phosphate
 Factors affecting Enzyme Action 06/02/2025
Keywords: Denature, pH, temperature, optimum, reaction,
extremophile

Plenary : Answer these three review questions below.

EXT: What factors would affect how well the enzyme will work?
1. What does biological catalyst mean? [1
marks]
2. Describe which metabolic reaction
this pictures shows. Name the two
other metabolic reactions and enzyme
performs. [3]
3. Use the words, active site,
substrate, lock and key and
reaction to explain how this
enzyme works. [4]
 Review
1. What does biological A biological substance that
catalyst mean? [1 speeds up a reaction without
marks] getting used up itself. [1]
2. Describe which
metabolic reaction this Building small molecules into
pictures shows. Name the larger [1] Changing one molecule
two other metabolic into another [1] Breaking down
reactions and enzyme large molecules into smaller [1]
performs. [3]
3. Use the words, active site,
The enzyme pepsin has a
substrate, lock and key, catalyse
specific shape to the
and reaction to explain how this
enzyme works. substrate protein [1]. The
substrate binds to the active
site [1] like a lock and key [1].
The enzyme connected to the
substrate and catalyses a
reaction. [1]
 Tasks- Group work

• Group work –Complete the worksheet

Plenary: Simplify

Firstly write two sentences

to summarise your learning

Then reduce to 5 words

Then reduce to 1 keyword

 LOb: Understand the factors that affect the action of an
enzyme.
Learning Outcomes:
 Describe what
Keywords: Denature, pH, denaturing is and how
temperature, optimum, an enzyme is denatured
reaction, extremophile by temperature

 Explain how pH affects

enzyme action

Did you know… Rubisco is the most

important enzyme as it allows plants to turn
carbon dioxide in the air into carbon which
allows plants to grow. Without this enzyme
life as we know it would not exist. Rubisco is
also the most abundant enzyme in the world.
Digestive enzymes are found in these three organs

Pepsin Lipase
Amylase protease (break down
carbohydrase (Breaks down Lipids/fat)
(Breaks down Protein)
Carbohydrate)

Starch  Glucose Protein  Amino Fats  Fatty acids

acids
All things need the correct conditions to work properly

SO DO ENZYMES!
 Reactivity of Enzymes
All enzymes have optimum conditions to work in.
The optimum is the condition which will produce
the highest rate of reaction.

Optimum = pH 6
 Factors affecting enzyme activity

pH Temperature Pressure

....
Substrate Enzyme
concentration concentration
 Why is temperature important?
When the temperature is cold there is not enough
kinetic energy (particles are moving slow).
heat

Increasing temp
increase the
kinetic energy =
more likely to
react
 Why is temperature important?
Fast moving particles means there is an increased
frequency of collisions increasing the chances the
substrate joins with the active site.
 A process where proteins lose their shape
Denaturing due to pH or temperature limiting or stopping
an enzyme being an effective catalyst.

HIGH TEMPERATURE

Enzyme denature
when too hot

normal denatured

The amino acid chains

of the enzyme unravel so
the active site changes.
 Not all enzymes have an optimum of 40o. Bacteria in hot
springs survive in conditions of 80o in hot springs or 0o in the
deep sea. They are called extremophiles.
Activity: Using the data and your graph paper draw the graph to show
temperature and its effect on enzyme action.
EXT: On your graph label and explain the beginning section, middle and end
scientifically

Temperature Rate of enzyme Key points

(oC) reaction Choose your scale correctly
0 8 Label your x and y axis with
the variables
10 22
20 47 Include the units for your labels

30 84 Plot each point accurately with

40 105 and X not a
A continuous line of best fit
50 95
through the points. Don’t worry
60 47 if not all the points fit onto the
line
63 0
 Review
Enzymes denature at temperatures above their optimum;
enzyme reaction normally above 40oC.
Rate (speed) of
 Enzymes working
optimally B
Enzymes denature
reducing rate of
reaction
Enzyme reactions
affected by the
enzyme reaction

kinetic energy of C
Rate of

particles
moving A
 A process where proteins lose
their shape due to pH or
Denaturing temperature limiting or stopping
an enzyme being an effective
catalyst.

denatured
 LOb: Understand the factors that affect the action of an
enzyme.
Learning Outcomes:
 Describe what
Keywords: Denature, pH, denaturing is and how
temperature, optimum, an enzyme is denatured
reaction, extremophile by temperature

 Explain how pH affects

enzyme action

Did you know… Rubisco is the most

important enzyme as it allows plants to turn
carbon dioxide in the air into carbon which
allows plants to grow. Without this enzyme
life as we know it would not exist. Rubisco is
also the most abundant enzyme in the world.
Activity: Watch this video and get ready to explain this graph

Optimum
= pH 6
The reason enzymes denature at some pHs is because of the
forces that are exerted on their protein structure.
Here is a computer generated diagram of the
proteins in an particular enzyme.

FORCES
hold the shape
 Acids have lots of H+ ions which exert a force.
This pull on the protein structure makes the enzyme lose its
form / shape. Active site can’t fit the substrate. The enzyme
is denatured.
H+ H+ H+
H+
H+
H+
H+ H+

H+
H + H+

H+
H+
 Questions
1. What is the optimum pH for amylase? [1 mark]
2. Which enzyme has the greatest optimal range? [1 mark]
3. Why is pepsin’s optimal pH so low? [2 marks]
4. Explain how pH affects enzymes differently from temperature. Make
reference to the differences in the rate of activity curves on the graph.
[3 marks]
 Questions
1. What is the optimum pH for amylase? pH 7
2. Which enzyme has the greatest optimal range? Lipase (stomach)
3. Why is pepsin’s optimal pH so low? Pepsin is found in the
Stomach. Stomach acid lowers the pH and pepsin works well.
4. Explain how pH affects enzymes differently from temperature. Make
reference to the differences in the rate of activity curves on the graph.
[3 marks]
Enzymes do not denature
at low temperature only
at high [1]
pH affects enzymes by
exerting or failing to exert
forces on their structure
causing them to change shape
and denature [1]
pH curves have steep lines on
both sides of optimal [1]
 LOb: Understand the factors that affect the action of an
enzyme.
Learning Outcomes:
 Describe what
Keywords: Denature, pH, denaturing is and how
temperature, optimum, an enzyme is denatured
reaction, extremophile by temperature

 Explain how pH affects

enzyme action

Did you know… Rubisco is the most

important enzyme as it allows plants to turn
carbon dioxide in the air into carbon which
allows plants to grow. Without this enzyme
life as we know it would not exist. Rubisco is
also the most abundant enzyme in the world.
 Application discussion
When a have an infectious disease you may ‘get a temperature’.
This is a protection mechanism used by your body as many
microorganism can’t reproduce at higher temperatures.
However, people always try and bring down the temperature
of an ill person. Explain why and discuss is it the best thing to do.
Factors that effect enzymes: pH, temperature, substrate
and enzyme concentration, pressure, surface area

Each enzyme has an optimal condition.

Temperature effects enzyme activity. Cold temp = low

kinetic energy reduced frequency of collisions. .
Denaturing at high temperature or a pH range means
that the structure of proteins has been irreparably damaged
which stops the enzyme from being able to catalyse a reaction.
H+ ions exert forces on enzyme protein structures which are either
too strong or to weak to what they are used to so they denature.
Plenary: Simplify

Firstly write two sentences

to summarise your learning

Then reduce to 5 words

Then reduce to 1 keyword