7. A certain enzyme will hydrolyze egg white but not starch. Which statement best explains this observation?
A.
The enzyme has a specific shape that allows it to bind to proteins in egg white, but not to the carbohydrates in starch.
To understand this observation, we need to look at the nature of enzymes and their specificity. Enzymes are biological molecules that act as catalysts, speeding up chemical reactions in living cells. They are usually highly specific in their action, meaning they will bind and react with only certain substrates.
In this case, the enzyme is able to hydrolyze egg white but not starch. Egg white mainly consists of proteins, while starch is a carbohydrate composed of glucose units. The enzyme in question has a specific shape and active site that allows it to bind to the proteins in egg white, but it cannot bind to the carbohydrates in starch.
An enzyme's shape is determined by its amino acid sequence, and the shape of its active site determines which substrates it can bind to. The active site is the specific region of the enzyme where the substrate binds and where the chemical reaction occurs. In the case of this specific enzyme, its active site is complementary to the shape of the proteins in egg white, allowing for binding and hydrolysis.
Starch, on the other hand, does not have the necessary shape or features for the enzyme's active site to bind to it. Therefore, the enzyme cannot catalyze the hydrolysis of starch.
This specificity of enzymes is crucial for their biological functions. It allows cells to have different enzymes that can carry out specific reactions and processes, ensuring the proper functioning of biochemical pathways and metabolism.