The rate of many biological reactions is increased by enzymes, which are proteins that act as catalysts for specific reactions. This model is quite useful for visualizing how the enzyme-substrate complex is formed as a crucial step in catalyzing biological reactions. However, the active sites of many enzymes do not have a shape in the unbound form that exactly matches the shape of the substrate. The shape of the active site changes when the substrate binds to the enzyme, creating a shape into which the substrate fits. One such enzyme is carboxypeptidase, which helps break down proteins, such as those from food, so that their constituent amino acids can be used to synthesize new proteins for the body.
Students then explore the effect of temperature and a catalyst on the reaction rate.
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