BIOL 134 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Coenzyme A, Activation Energy, Chemical Reaction
Document Summary
Chemical reaction tend to happen when they"re energetically favored and give off energy. In order for chemicals to break down into free energy, there is an activation energy required. Enzymes cause reactions to change activation energy, lowered so reactions can happen. A favorable reaction can drive an unfavorable one, if they"re linked by an enzyme. A lot of what determines what can live where (and at what temperature) comes from enzymes needing specific conditions. Enzymes are catalysts: lower the activation energy of a reaction, are unchanged by the reaction. Enzymes are specific: most enzymes bind one specific set of substrates. Enzymes are efficient: enzymes can increase the rate of reactions billions of times faster than they would happen on their own, can act quickly, catalyzing thousands of reactions per second (under ideal conditions) Cofactors include many trace metals such as zinc, copper, and iron. Coenzymes are small organic molecules required for function: nad, nadp, fad, coenzyme a.
