Postlab assignment

1. requires drawing
2. I would guess that the secondary and tertiary structures would be the first to "break" during protein unfolding (denaturation). I would think that the primary structure would be the most difficult to "break".
3. The hand and glove model is a better model because enzymes are not rigid, inflexible structures. There is some give and take between the enzyme and its substrate and the enzyme structure does change somewhat as it interacts with the substrate.
4. E+S yields the preliminary E-S complex which eventually yields the product + the enzyme.
5. Fruits and veggies can be preserved by freezing because cold temperatures slow the the oxidation reaction. Similarly, acidic lemon juice lowers the pH and greatly decreases the enzyme activity.
6. Physiological fluids are buffered because the enzymes our body uses need to stay as close to the optimal pH as possible for the greatest amount of enzyme activity to occur.
Warm-blooded animals maintain a constant body temperature because, again, our bodies' enzymes need to function in as close to 37C for the most enzyme activity to occur. If our core temp drops, the enzymes are not able to function as well and the body suffers. Our bodies are not adapted to tolerate great variances in temp or pH with serious repercussions. Cold blooded animals function more slowly at lower temps, but they have adapted to the change in rate.
7. The remaining pieces to the equation are 2H+ and 2e-.