Activities of Enzymes
There are five major mechanisms by which enzymes speed up
the rate of metabolic reactions:
- Functional-group transfers: one molecule gives up
a functional group, and another molecule accepts it.
- Electron transfer: one or more electrons are
stripped from one molecule and donated to another molecule.
- Rearrangement: a juggling of internal bonds
converts one type of organic compound into another.
- Condensation: through covalent bonding, two
molecules combine to form a larger molecule.
- Cleavage: a molecule splits into two smaller ones.
In condensation reactions, small molecules can
combine to form larger ones.
In hydrolysis reactions, one larger molecule is split by
the addition of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions (from water) into its
components.
REVIEW: The formation of large molecules from small repeating units is known as what kind of
reaction?
REVIEW: Hydrolysis is a (an) _____ reaction.
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