hey i have 2 biology units 1 and 2 questions i'd love help on guys?

[Questions galore]

hey i've tried searching in biology books what acidic and alkaline means but i never found the answer , so thats my frist question what acidic and alkaline means

2) list the min properties of enzymes.To what extent can each property be explained by the lock and key mechanism

okay guys i just need you to help me with one property which is " enzymes are sensitive to ph levels. "

[Nick]

Acidic means that it has a pH of less than 7
Alkaline means that it has a pH of more than 7

Enzymes act as catalysts for reactions, and are specific for one reaction. This means that only one substance will fit into the enzymes active site. In the lock and key model, the enzymes active site does not change shape to help th substrate fit in.

Enzymes are proteins, so can be denatured. If an enzyme is supposed to work in an acidic environment, eg. the stomach, it will be permanently destroyed by a pH too high. This goes for temperature as well.

[bitty.punk]

An enzyme is a protein that catalyses a reaction.
proteins are chains of amino acids. Due to the different properties of the side chains of the amino acids they fold themselves up in a "conformation". If you change the pH too much the protein might unfold or fold differently becuase some of the side chains will ionize and also because the hydrophobic interactions will also be altered.
Essentially if you change the acidity of the solution the enzyme is in too much then it will lose the shape it is meant to have and if it is not in its normal conformation (shape) it loses function.
Enzymes depend on their very specific shape to function. If you change the shape of a lock the key doesnt fit in it anymore. If you change the shape of the enzyme the substrate wont bind to it (wont fit in it) and the enzyme cannot catalyze the reaction.

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"Enzymes are proteins, so can be denatured. If an enzyme is supposed to work in an acidic environment, eg. the stomach, it will be permanently destroyed by a pH too high. This goes for temperature as well."

!!Not entirely true!! for many proteins once the temperature or pH returns within normal range the protein refolds itself into its native conformation. It is not destroyed it is just temporarily denatured. (note some proteins DO need chemical chaperones to refold properly)