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AP® Biology · Unit 3 · Topic 3.2

Environmental Impacts on Enzyme Function: Topic Checklist (Biology 3.2)

Specific “I can…” statements for temperature, pH, denaturation, concentrations and inhibitors, each linked to the guide section and practice question that tests it.

Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.

Understanding

  • I can explain what denaturation is and why it stops an enzyme catalysing, without saying peptide bonds break. (Guide: “Denaturation: losing the working shape”; Practice Q1)
  • I can explain both parts of a temperature–rate curve: more collisions below the optimum, broken hydrogen bonds above it. (Guide: Figure 1; Practice Q1)
  • I can explain how a change in pH alters R-group charges, the fold and the active site. (Guide: “pH: changing the charges”; Practice Q4)
  • I can state when denaturation may be reversible and why cold usually does not denature an enzyme. (Guide: “Can denaturation be reversed?”)
  • I can describe competitive and noncompetitive inhibitors, including where each binds. (Guide: Figure 3; Practice Q3)

Calculation and skills

  • I can calculate a percentage change in rate, dividing by the starting value. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q2)
  • I can calculate an inhibited rate as a percentage of the uninhibited rate at different substrate concentrations. (Guide: Worked example 2)
  • I can estimate an optimum from data and suggest how to improve the estimate. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q4)
  • I can calculate the change in rate per unit of substrate and use it to show saturation. (Practice Q7)

Reasoning

  • I can use a reversibility test to decide whether a loss of activity is permanent. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q4)
  • I can explain how the relative concentrations of substrate and product affect the net rate, and predict the effect of blocking the next enzyme in a pathway. (Guide: “Substrate and product concentrations”; Practice Q5)
  • I can identify an inhibitor as competitive or noncompetitive from data, and design an experiment to tell them apart. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q6)
  • I can predict the effect of more enzyme or a noncompetitive inhibitor on the maximum rate. (Practice Q7)

All ticked? Move on to Topic 3.3, Cellular Energy, or return to the course roadmap.

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