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Ch. 4 - Body Weight and Health
Belk, Maier - Biology: Science for Life 6th Edition
Belk, Maier6th EditionBiology: Science for LifeISBN: 9780135214084Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 4, Problem 4

Which of the following is a false statement regarding enzymes?
a. Enzymes are proteins that speed up metabolic reactions.
b. Enzymes have specific substrates.
c. Enzymes supply ATP to their substrates.
d. An enzyme may be used many times.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the role of enzymes in biological systems. Enzymes are biological catalysts, typically proteins, that speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur.
Step 2: Analyze each statement provided in the question. For example, statement (a) says enzymes are proteins that speed up metabolic reactions. This is true because enzymes act as catalysts in metabolic pathways.
Step 3: Evaluate statement (b), which states that enzymes have specific substrates. This is also true because enzymes exhibit specificity, meaning they bind to specific molecules (substrates) at their active sites.
Step 4: Examine statement (c), which claims that enzymes supply ATP to their substrates. This is false because enzymes do not supply ATP; instead, they may facilitate reactions that involve ATP, but they do not directly provide it.
Step 5: Review statement (d), which states that an enzyme may be used many times. This is true because enzymes are not consumed in the reactions they catalyze and can be reused multiple times.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Enzyme Function

Enzymes are biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions in living organisms. They lower the activation energy required for reactions, allowing metabolic processes to occur more efficiently. Enzymes are crucial for various biological functions, including digestion and energy production.
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Functions of Enzymes

Substrate Specificity

Enzymes exhibit specificity for their substrates, meaning each enzyme typically catalyzes a specific reaction with a particular substrate. This specificity is due to the unique shape and chemical properties of the enzyme's active site, which only fits certain substrate molecules, akin to a lock and key mechanism.
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Receptor Specificity

Enzyme Recycling

Enzymes are not consumed in the reactions they catalyze; instead, they can be reused multiple times. After facilitating a reaction, an enzyme returns to its original state, ready to bind to new substrate molecules. This property makes enzymes highly efficient in metabolic pathways.
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