Question

The role of catalysts is critical in many chemical reactions. They have great consequence in the fields of medicine and pharmacology. On the basis of your research, respond to the following: Identify the two important classes of catalysts. Choose a catalyst that exists in the human body. Explain its importance and how it works. Analyze the chemical reactions that take place when a biological catalyst combines with a reactant (substrate) to form an unstable intermediate.

Answer 1

A Catalyst is a foreign substance that allows the reaction to proceed through an alternaitve path by lowering the activation energy of the reaction. Catalysts are two types.

Homogeneous catalysts : Where the catalyst is in the same phase as the reactants. For exampe, in the production of Biodiesel, NaOH is the catalyst that is dissolved in an organic solvent like methanol or ethanol

Heterogneous catalysts :Where the catalyst and the reactants are in different phase. For example, for the same bio-diesel prodction, egg shells are used.

one of the caytalyst that exists in the human body is protease which breaks the proteins in the food to amino acids, the builidng blocks

During the combination of biological catalyst with a substrate, a enzyme subsrate compex (ES} E+S-->ES. (also known as transition complex) is formed. This complex reduced the activation energy of the reaction. The decompostion of this intermediate governs the rate of reaction.