| explain the lock and key hypothesis | enzymes are therefore specific in the reactions in the reactions that they catalayse. The shape of the substrate (key) is complemntary to the shape of the active site of the enzyme (lock). it attempts to explain the specificity of enzymes |
| explain the induced fit hypothesis | rather than being a rigid lock, the active site of the enzyme is flexible and changes its form slightly to fit the shape of the substrate. This means that the substrate fits better into the active site of the enzyme. |
| give the details of the structure of enzyme | there are amino acids with hydrophillic R-groups facing to the outside of the molecule. This makes the enzyme soluble in the aqueous internal environment of the cell or in the extracellular fluids such as blood and tissue fluid and allows it to catalayse metabolic reactions. |
| what are enzymes | globular proteins, spherical shape determined by their sequence of amino acids. |
