An enzyme is a biological catalyst (protein) which speeds up the rate of chemical reactions without changing the chemical reaction at the end. A chemical reaction is when a substance is changed into a different substance. To begin a reaction, you need energy which in this case is called activation energy. A reaction in a chemical reaction is called a substrate when it is being acted upon by an enzyme that speeds up the rate of a reaction. In addition, the region on the enzyme where the substrate binds is the active site. The lock and key hypothesis is an analogy stating that only the correctly sized key (substrate) fits into the key hole (active site) of the lock (enzyme), which means that there is only one substrate that has the ability to react with an enzyme. …show more content…
When enzymes denature, they are inactive and can no longer function properly. High temperature, and PH levels can cause substances to become denatured. When the PH changes, the enzymes stop working, and increasing the temperature will cause a permanent change to the shape of the active site, overall causing the enzyme to no longer have the ability to speed up reactions. Catalase (enzyme) is a common enzyme that is found in all living things. This enzyme catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (substrate) into water and oxygen when it is not denatured. The enzyme substrate complex is when the enzyme and substrate bonded together on the active site splits and splits the hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water. Lastly, the induce fit hypothesis is stating how the exposure of an enzyme to a substrate causes the active site of an enzyme to change until a substrate can completely bind to