Explain the effect of temperature and pH on enzyme-catalysed reactions:

The rate of reaction typically increases with temperature, as heat provides kinetic energy and more substrate-enzyme collisions. however, going above a certain temperature will cause enzymes to denature and lose its shape. When this happens, the substrate can no longer fit into the active site and therefore there will be less enzyme-induced reactions, making the overall reaction slower.
The optimum pH depends on the enzyme, e.g. enzymes in the stomach will work best at lower pH, whilst intestinal enzymes work best at higher pH. Going much higher or lower than an enzyme's optimum pH will cause the reaction to slow down as it gets denatured, causing less enzyme-substrate reactions.

AK
Answered by Abdullah K. Biology tutor

8721 Views

See similar Biology GCSE tutors

Related Biology GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Explain the cycle of thermoregulation in humans


What is the difference between natural selection and evolution?


What are some of the major differences between viruses and bacteria?


A man has a disease caused by a dominant allele. The mother has the disease but the father does not, explain how we know the man is heterozygous for this disease.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning