Question

REGARDS TO THE LACTASE EXERCISE

*What was/were the substrate(s) in the enzyme experiments? ______________

*What was/were the products(s) in the enzyme experiments? ___________

*What was the enzyme in your experiment? ___________

*What was the independent variable in lab exercise #1?

*Hypothesize why we add water to the test tubes in exercise

Answer 1

1. Lactose

2. Glucose and galactose

3. Lactase

4. Amount of enzyme or substrate or temperature or pH

5. In order to provide a medium in which all the reaction components can be dissolved

Background information -

Enzymes are protein molecules which speed up the rate of a biological reaction without themselves being consumed in the reaction.

All the enzymes worked at a specific temperature and pH called as optimum temperature and optimum pH. This is because at optimum pH and optimum temperature, enzymes are present in their native three-dimensional structure. Any deviation from the optimum value results in the loss of three-dimensional structure of enzyme and therefore loss of the catalytic activity of enzyme.

Acting upon which enzymes are called as substrate and the final molecules formed are called as products.

All the enzymes are very specific for their substrate. The substrate binds to the active site of enzyme which is complementary in shape and size to the substrate molecule. Apart from active site, there is an allosteric site on the enzyme where modulators bind. These modulators can be inhibitor or activator which decrease or increase the rate of enzymatic reaction respectively.

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