StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Functions of Enzymes, Roles of Plasma Membranes - Assignment Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Functions of Enzymes, Roles of Plasma Membranes" highlights that the main function of enzymes is to speed up the rate of chemical reactions during the digestive and metabolic processes. Reactions in the cell become a million times faster when an enzyme is involved…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.1% of users find it useful
Functions of Enzymes, Roles of Plasma Membranes
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Functions of Enzymes, Roles of Plasma Membranes"

These two ends help the cells mix properly with water. Phospholipid bilayers contain transport and receptor proteins, which help transport substances in and out of the cell. The plasma membrane is a semi-permeable membrane; it allows the substances needed for the functioning of the cell to enter, while filters out the rest. Also, the membrane helps maintain a cell potential inside the cell that assists in communication and the exchange of signals from outside the cell (Pandey, 2010)What are the three major steps for cellular respiration and describe BRIEFLY the metabolic pathway in each?

The three steps for cellular respiration are glycolysis, The Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain. Glycolysis is the process in which glucose molecules are broken down from carbohydrates into pyruvates. In this process, a phosphate is removed from ATP, which becomes ADP, and is given to the glucose molecule, making it more chemically reactive. The Krebs cycle is an aerobic process, which means that it requires oxygen. It is a sequence of steps using enzymes as catalysts, which results in the complete oxidization of the Acetyl CoA molecule.

The electron transport chain is the process in which most energy is released that has been trapped in the glucose molecule. The electron transport chain is a system of electron-carrying proteins that are found in the inner membrane of the mitochondria. The electrons are passed along these proteins and are finally joined with oxygen, which is the last electron acceptor (“Understanding Cellular Respiration”, n.d.)What are some major differences between respiration and fermentation?Respiration makes use of oxygen to perform the function of an electron acceptor to form ATP.

During fermentation, inorganic electron donors are used to forming ATP such as sulfur and methane. Although both the processes use the same substances to produce ATP, they vary in their respective processes and the amount of energy that is released. Respiration results in the production of 38 ATP, while fermentation only manages to produce 2 ATP. The production of ATP is slower in cellular respiration and quicker in fermentation. Also, respiration is much more effective in producing ATP than fermentation (Emelda, 2011)What is the relationship between the light-dependent and light-independent reactions in photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis takes place in two stages: the light-dependent stage (takes place in the thylakoid) and the light-independent stage (takes place in the stroma). The light-dependent reactions store sunlight and use it as chemical energy to perform various functions. Therefore, the light-dependent reaction gets its energy from sunlight to undergo the process. Light independent reactions, also known as dark reactions, do not have a direct energy source; therefore, they depend on the products produced by the light-dependent reactions to undergo the process (“Photosynthesis”, n.d.).

LAB QUESTIONSDescribe how enzymes act as catalysts (include substrates, products, and active site).Enzymes as biological catalysts are specific in nature and only bind to an active site of a particular substrate. The enzyme works through a lock and key mechanism. The active site on the substrate is the lock and the enzyme is the key. The enzyme will fit itself inside the active site to begin the reaction. Once the enzyme has attached itself, certain chemical reactions take place within the bounds substrate, and the substrate breaks into two products.

The enzyme is released and does not undergo any change in composition, and can be used again (“How to Do Enzymes Function?” n.d.)How does substrate concentration affect the rate of enzyme reactions?As the concentration of the substrate increases, the rate of enzyme reaction increases. But there comes a point when the substrate concentration does not have an effect on the rate, and the enzyme becomes saturated with the substrate. Then the rate depends on the activity of the enzyme, and the amount of substrate does not matter (“The Effect of Substrate Concentration on Enzyme Activity”, n.d.)How is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) toxic to cells?

Hydrogen peroxide is highly toxic to cells because it is an unstable and very reactive compound. Our body’s immune system makes use of the toxicity of H2O2 to destroy the bacterial cells. But the hydrogen peroxide, while destroying bacterial cells, can also harm and kill our essential body cells. Therefore, our cells release an enzyme called catalase, which aids in breaking down the toxic H2O2 into normal oxygen and water molecules (“How Does Hydrogen Peroxide Work to Cleanse a Wound?” n.d.)What other enzyme in addition to catalase removes hydrogen peroxide from cells?

Superoxide dismutase. (Baxamusa, 2012)

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 44”, n.d.)
Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 44. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/biology/1603026-assignment
(Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words - 44)
Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words - 44. https://studentshare.org/biology/1603026-assignment.
“Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words - 44”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/biology/1603026-assignment.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Functions of Enzymes, Roles of Plasma Membranes

The human cell

They can be present as part of the membranes or can be mobile and catalyze the reactions as... Cells are bounded by a plasma membrane (cell membrane) and contain the fluid called protoplasm.... It will also analyze the energy processes of the cells accompanied with the enzymes and the metabolic activities of the cells.... Functional proteins are the enzymes that catalyze the cell reactions.... It has organelles for various functions....
18 Pages (4500 words) Term Paper

The Roles of Amino Acid R-groups in the Structures and Functions of Transmembrane Ion Channels

Name Professor Course Date The roles of Amino Acid R-groups in the Structures and Functions of Transmembrane Ion Channels Introduction Amino acids refer to molecules with a group called amine.... Experimentally, ion channels catalyze the process of diffusion across membranes, and this recorded as electrical currents in units known as Pico amperes.... In the study of ion channels, their function include making possible the ions diffusion across membranes, which have biological nature....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Respiratory, Endocrine, Urinary Systems

In conclusion, the microscopy helps in identifying some of the major components of the membranes.... Moreover, the structures organization appears linked to the adaptation of the membranes.... As a result, the tissue plays many functions in the body.... Some of the functions include support and protection (Human Biology, n....
12 Pages (3000 words) Coursework

The Important Antioxidant Vitamins

The four significant antioxidant enzymes that neutralize the free radicals are superoxide dismutase, catalase, methionine reductase and glutathione peroxidase.... Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms containing unpaired electrons (namely the superoxide anion, hydroxyl free radical and hydrogen… that can cause damage to cells, impairs the immune system and leads to various degenerative diseases like spinal cord injury, heart diseases, atherosclerosis, cancer, arthritis, emphysema, retinopathy and optical cataracts(Sies,1997)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

Hormonal Secretion Peculiarities

They are  - one hormone – many functions; one hormone - specific function and one function – many hormones.... This paper "Hormonal Secretion Peculiarities" focuses on the fact that hormonal regulation is usually complex.... Complex in the sense that their way of functioning needs a deep study to classify under specific nomenclature....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

The Human Cell

It will also analyze the energy processes of the cells accompanied by the enzymes and the metabolic activities of the cells.... It has organelles for various functions.... The cell is an essential component of the human body and this paper will explore the organization and cellular membrane of the cell....
20 Pages (5000 words) Term Paper

Differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

raw a diagram of a phospholipid bilayer that indicates its overall structure and that includes the structures of the three types of proteins that are found in membranes.... This paper, Differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells, declares that a virus particle is composed of nucleic acid, either double-stranded or single-stranded, with a surrounding protein coat and a possible membrane envelope....
12 Pages (3000 words) Assignment

Identification of Polymorphic and Conserved Genes

nbsp;… The process of membrane vesicle biogenesis is of great interest and continual research is being done into revealing similar and pathogen-specific roles of membrane vesicles in bacterial virulence of the different bacterium.... This report "Identification of Polymorphic and Conserved Genes" focuses on vesicles that can form naturally during the process of secretion, uptake and transport of materials within the cytoplasm....
6 Pages (1500 words) Report
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us