Special Sub-Topic: Back to school with enzymes. Click Here To Play: Back to school with enzymes.

The part of an enzyme that is used to break down or construct molecules is known as the active WHAT?

Site. It's the active site that binds to molecules so that enzymes can go about their business.

Why can't the enzymes in saliva work in the stomach?

Conditions are too acidic. Enzymes are held together by attraction between oppositely charged molecules, a bit like the poles on magnets. When acid is introduced into the stomach and pH drops, there are loads of positive charges floating around which mess up the charges in the enzyme, so it breaks down.

When enzymes are heated above a certain temperature, what process do they undergo?

Denaturation. Denaturation is when heat overcomes some of the forces that hold enzymes together, and so the enzyme permanently changes shape.

Maltase is an important enzyme found in the...?

Cells of the gut wall. Maltase is an intracellular enzyme (found inside cells) and breaks down maltose to glucose in the cells of the intestine.

Pectinases break down which of the following?

Fruit. Pectinases are mostly used in industry where they break down fruit, particularly apples.

Which of the following groups are the main producers of cellulase, an enzyme used to break down cellulose in plant cell walls?

Fungi. Well carnivores is just a silly answer, but actually so is herbivores as they do not produce cellulase but rely on bacteria contained within their stomachs. These can only be certain bacteria as very few types of bacteria actually produce cellulase. It is fungi that produce the most cellulase as many speices of fungi use cellulase to break down cells, for example in tree bark.

Which organelle, also known as a suicide bag, is used to break down a cell once it has died?

Lysosome. Since the word "lysis" means to split, even if you didn't know the answer you could have guessed that the lysosome is the organelle that contains the enzymes for breaking down the cell.

Normally, trypsin is produced by which organ?

Pancreas. Trypsin is one of the digestive proteases (enzymes that break down proteins) found in the small intestine where it works well in the slightly alkaline conditions.

What process is the enzyme "RuBisCO" used in?

Photosynthesis. RuBisCO, standing for Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, is used to enable the introduction of CO2 in the second stage of photosynthesis known as the light-independent reaction, or the Calvin cycle. Quizzy fact: RuBisCO is the most common protein on Earth.

RNA polymerase is involved in which of the following processes?

Transcription. RNA polymerase is an enzyme that is used to make copies of DNA in the form of RNA, which is used to make proteins.