Difference between enzyme and substrate (1 Viewer)

[mitch_f1]

Hey
Just a quick, stupid, question (said in the title, dont need to repeat it)

Like I know that the substrate is the surface that the enzyme acts upon, and I know the many models (induced, lock and key), but what, specifically, is the difference between the two?

Cheers

 

[The_highwayman]

Think of substrates as lego blocks and your hands as the enzyme. Your hands take hold of one substrate and attaches it to the other (chemically). in te same way, an enzyme acts as a catalyst to chemical reactions between substrates.

Substrates can be basically anything but are commonly things such as sugars, amino acids or polypeptides(which are made from amino acids anyway), or other organic molecules.

Enzymes are (generally complex) proteins...

thats as much as i can remember anyway...someone will probably say i'm wrong but yeah.

 

[Yaou]

Hi,

you're right Highwayman,
Enzymes are proteins able to do a very specific chemical reaction on a substrate.
For example, DpnI is a DNAse. It's a particular type of enzyme that can cut the DNA at a specific target.
Another example ?? The amylase is an enzyme we have in our salivate, its a big protein complex that can cleave the starch (a sugar in bread) in glucose and maltose, smaller molecules, easily digestible by our organism (maltose is the substrate).

Enzymes are globular proteins. Their folded conformation creates an area known as the active site. The nature and arrangement of amino acids in the active site make it specific for only one type of substrate.

I hope it will help you !

 

[mardielllen]

hi mitchy!!!
i don't know the exact answer to your Q. so i thought i'd say hi!!!
mardi xoxoxo

 

[tristambrown]

substrate = food to be turned into something else

Production & consumption of ethanol via fermentation & ingestion:

Substrate - Enzyme - Substrate - Enzyme -etc etc

Eg alcohol Production - with enzymes in yeast

sucrose (substrate) --> invertase (enzyme) - Glucose
Glucose (Substrate) + zymase (enzyme) --> Ethanol
Ethanol (Alcohol in all drinks)

(VODKA) ---

(DRINK VODKA)---
Ingestion & Product removal - In Human

Ethanol (substrate) + Alcohol dehydrogenase (Enzyme in people) - Acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde ((Toxic Substrate) + aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (Enzyme) -Ethanoic Acid (acetic acid)

Ethanoic Acid- (removed by liver)

 

[mzduxx2006]

substrate --> material or substance acted upon by an enzyme.

enzyme --> natural catalyst, a protein which stabalises metabolic activity

 

[elle148]

the lego analogy is sort of correct

but the enzyme and substrate fit perfectly together... like two halves of a heart

 

[Survivor39]

Enzymes and substrates don't always fit perfectly together. And sometimes catalysis can still occur.

 

[elle148]

But if they don't fit how can anything happen?

My teacher told us they fit together but don't look the same

 

[Survivor39]

They don't always have to fit perfectly. Remember the enzyme can "adjust" itself, as proposed by the "induced fit" model. Even with adjustments, the two don't fit like blocks obviously. But as long as the two can bind together via a number of interactions (electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, van der waals and hydrophobic), then catalysis can occur.