Biology - MYP 2 - 15 Nov

MYP Year 2 – Notes (Biology)
Criteria A
Command Terms -Definition

Analyse -Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure. To identify parts
and relationships, and to interpret information to reach conclusions.
Apply- Use knowledge and understanding in response to a given situation or real circumstances
Describe -Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process
Design- Produce a plan, simulation or model
Discuss- Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, factors or
hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate
evidence
Outline- Give a brief account
Recall -Remember or recognize from prior learning experiences
Select -Choose from a list or group
State -Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation
Suggest -Propose a solution, hypothesis or other possible answer
Summarize -Abstract a general theme or major points
Middle Years Programme | Indus International School, Pune | 2024-25

The Digestive System- Enzymes
Key points
 Enzymes are:
o Catalysts that speed up the rate of a chemical reaction without being
changed or used up in the reaction
o Proteins
o Biological catalysts (biological because they are made in living cells,
catalysts because they speed up the rate of chemical reactions without being
changed)
o Necessary to all living organisms as they maintain reaction speeds of all
metabolic reactions (all the reactions that keep an organism alive) at a rate that
can sustain life
 For example, if we did not produce digestive enzymes, it would take
around 2 - 3 weeks to digest one meal; with enzymes, it takes around 4
hours.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21532-enzymes - Read this.
How do enzymes work?

 Enzymes are specific to one particular substrate (molecule/s that get broken down or
joined together in the reaction) as the enzyme is a complementary shape to the
substrate
 The product is made from the substrate(s) and is released.
Mechanism of enzyme action

In most chemical reactions, an energy barrier exists that must be overcome for the
reaction to occur. This barrier prevents complex molecules such as proteins and
nucleic acids from spontaneously degrading, and so is necessary for the preservation
of life. When metabolic changes are required in a cell, however, certain of these
complex molecules must be broken down, and this energy barrier must be
surmounted. Heat could provide the additional needed energy (called activation
energy), but the rise in temperature would kill the cell. The alternative is to lower the
activation energy level through the use of a catalyst. This is the role that enzymes
play. They react with the substrate to form an intermediate complex—a “transition
state”—that requires less energy for the reaction to proceed. The unstable
intermediate compound quickly breaks down to form reaction products, and the
unchanged enzyme is free to react with other substrate molecules.
Only a certain region of the enzyme, called the active site, binds to the substrate. The
active site is a groove or pocket formed by the folding pattern of the protein. This
three-dimensional structure, together with the chemical and electrical properties of the
amino acids and cofactors within the active site, permits only a particular substrate to
bind to the site, thus determining the enzyme’s specificity.
Enzyme synthesis and activity also are influenced by genetic control and distribution
in a cell. Some enzymes are not produced by certain cells, and others are formed only

when required. Enzymes are not always found uniformly within a cell; often they are
compartmentalized in the nucleus, on the cell membrane, or in subcellular structures.
The rates of enzyme synthesis and activity are further influenced by hormones,
neurosecretions, and other chemicals that affect the cell’s internal environment.
Factors affecting enzyme activity
Because enzymes are not consumed in the reactions they catalyze and can be used
over and over again, only a very small quantity of an enzyme is needed to catalyze a
reaction. A typical enzyme molecule can convert 1,000 substrate molecules per
second. The rate of an enzymatic reaction increases with increased substrate
concentration, reaching maximum velocity when all active sites of the enzyme
molecules are engaged. The enzyme is then said to be saturated, the rate of the
reaction being determined by the speed at which the active sites can convert substrate
to product.
Enzyme activity can be inhibited in various ways. Competitive inhibition occurs when
molecules very similar to the substrate molecules bind to the active site and prevent
binding of the actual substrate. Penicillin, for example, is a competitive inhibitor that
blocks the active site of an enzyme that many bacteria use to construct their cell walls.
Noncompetitive inhibition occurs when an inhibitor binds to the enzyme at a location
other than the active site. In some cases of noncompetitive inhibition, the inhibitor is
thought to bind to the enzyme in such a way as to physically block the normal active
site. In other instances, the binding of the inhibitor is believed to change the shape of
the enzyme molecule, thereby deforming its active site and preventing it from reacting
with its substrate. This latter type of noncompetitive inhibition is called allosteric
inhibition; the place where the inhibitor binds to the enzyme is called the allosteric
site. Frequently, an end-product of a metabolic pathway serves as an allosteric
inhibitor on an earlier enzyme of the pathway. This inhibition of an enzyme by a
product of its pathway is a form of negative feedback.
Allosteric control can involve stimulation of enzyme action as well as inhibition. An
activator molecule can be bound to an allosteric site and induce a reaction at the
active site by changing its shape to fit a substrate that could not induce the change by
itself. Common activators include hormones and the products of earlier enzymatic
reactions. Allosteric stimulation and inhibition allow production of energy and
materials by the cell when they are needed and inhibit production when the supply is
adequate.

Test questions
What are enzymes and what do they do?
Answer: Enzymes are special proteins that act as biological catalysts. They speed up chemical
reactions in our bodies without being used up themselves.
Explain the "lock and key" model of enzyme action.
Answer: The "lock and key" model describes how enzymes work. The enzyme (lock) has a
specific shape that only fits a particular molecule (key), called the substrate. The substrate
binds to the active site of the enzyme, forming an enzyme-substrate complex. This complex
allows the reaction to take place more quickly, and the products are released.
How do changes in temperature and pH affect enzyme activity?
Answer: Enzymes have an optimal temperature and pH at which they work best. If the
temperature or pH is too high or too low, the enzyme's
shape can change, making it less effective or even stopping it from working altogether. This
is because the shape of the active site is crucial for the substrate to bind.
Bibliography
https://www.britannica.com/science/enzyme/Factors-affecting-enzyme-activity
https://www.osmosis.org/learn/Enzyme_function
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21532-enzymes
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MYP Year 2 – Notes (Biology)

Command Terms -Definition

Middle Years Programme | Indus International School, Pune | 2024-25

Middle Years Programme | Indus International School, Pune | 2024-25

Mechanism of enzyme action

Middle Years Programme | Indus International School, Pune | 2024-25

Middle Years Programme | Indus International School, Pune | 2024-25

What are enzymes and what do they do?

Explain the "lock and key" model of enzyme action.

How do changes in temperature and pH affect enzyme activity?

Middle Years Programme | Indus International School, Pune | 2024-25

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