based on what you have read about enzyme function, explain how the functions of enzymes in the human body may change based on differences in the pH of the organs in which they are found

Question

Evans

Biology

16 August, 20:00

based on what you have read about enzyme function, explain how the functions of enzymes in the human body may change based on differences in the pH of the organs in which they are found

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Keith Garner · Answer 1

Generally, most enzymes work best at the neutral pH of 7. The specificity of their functions is determine by the 3-Dimensional shape of their active sites, and this is sensitive to low or high pH of the cells Enzymes are examples of globular proteins with R-groups. These R-groups could have positive or negative in charges, this refers to their ionization.

When the pH of a cell is very low in the containing organ, the hydrogen ion concentration of the medium is high (since pH is negative log of hydrogen ion concentration,) The high hydrogen ion reacts by interacting with the R-group of the enzyme altering their ionization, which weakened the ionic bonds holding the 3-D structure of the enzyme molecules in shape.

The loss of 3-D arrangement disrupts the active site, and therefore denatures the globular protein structure of enzyme. This result to failure of the enzyme to from needed enzyme-substrate-complex of enzymatic reaction. Therefore the enzyme is no longer specific, thus function is lost.

Conversely, at a very high pH of the cells, the ionization of the R-group is also affected, and the enzymes specificity of action affected. However effective buffer system always prevented these functions in pH from taken place ...

Jadyn Spence · Answer 2

Enzymes are protein structures which speed up the rate of chemial reaction in human systems. They can be found in digestive system, liver etc. They are composed of active sites which are specific to a particular substrate.

Enzymes can only work in certain conditions. These conditions include; pH, temperature etc. Most enzymes in the human body work optimally at around 37°C, which means that at lower or higher temperature they might work sluggishly.

Likewise at certain pH range designed for the part of the body, they'll also work optimally. Example, enzymes in the intestines work best at 7.5 pH while enzymes in the stomach work best at pH 2 (pH of the stomach is much more acidic).

If these conditions in the environment are too high or too low, the enzyme loses its initial shape and hence, alters the shape of the active site. Consequently, the "specific" substrates cannot bind to it because the enzyme has become denatured.