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Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Action

As the temperature is increased the kinetic energy of the molecules increases and the molecules move faster and collide more often and with more energy.There are more frequent and more effective collisions so more enzyme-substrate complexes are formed in a given time.At the optimum temperature, the rate of enzyme-substrate complex formation is a maximum.When the temperature is greater than the optimum temperature the hydrogen bonds and other bonds holding the enzyme molecule and active site in its specific 3D shape begin to break.The shape of the active site changes and is no longer complementary to the shape of the substrate.Around 60°C the enzyme stops working completely and is denatured.Denaturation is an irreversible change.

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Specification: AQA Biology (7401), AS-level, 3.1.4.2 Many proteins are enzymes. Topic: Enzymes.

Key terms in this lesson

hydrogen bond
A weak electrostatic attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen atom on one polar molecule and a slightly negative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, on another.
active site
The region of an enzyme, formed by the tertiary structure, with a shape complementary to its substrate, where the substrate binds.
enzyme-substrate complex
The temporary structure formed when a substrate binds to the active site of an enzyme.

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