Directions: View the shirts at the front of the room. 

Discuss what you SEE, THINK and WONDER with your group.

(Hint: Stains are from food. Food is made up of organic molecules)

Directions

Step 1) Use the resources below in order to figure out how we can break down the organic molecules that make up Mr. Pinho' stain. 

Step 2) Once you figure it out, answer the AI questions by clicking on the image below:

Enzymes: Nature’s Powerful Helpers

Enzymes are special proteins that play a crucial role in helping the body carry out its daily functions. Without enzymes, many of the chemical reactions that keep living things alive would happen too slowly or not at all. Enzymes act as catalysts, which means they speed up these reactions. Whether breaking down food or building molecules, enzymes make life possible.

How Enzymes Work

Each enzyme is designed to work with a specific molecule, called a substrate. Think of it like a lock and key. An enzyme has a specific shape with a special area called the active site. The substrate fits perfectly into the active site, just like a key fits into a lock. Once the substrate is in place, the enzyme gets to work.

Breaking Down Molecules: Enzymes and Digestion

One of the most important jobs of enzymes is to help digest food. When you eat, your body uses enzymes to break down large food molecules into smaller ones that can be absorbed into your bloodstream. Different enzymes target different types of food:

• Amylase: This enzyme is found in your saliva and begins the process of breaking down carbohydrates, like bread or pasta, into simpler sugars.

• Protease: Found in your stomach and intestines, this enzyme breaks down proteins, like those in meat or beans, into amino acids.

• Lipase: This enzyme helps digest fats, like those found in butter or oils, into smaller molecules called fatty acids and glycerol.

For example, when you eat a sandwich, amylase in your saliva starts digesting the bread while protease in your stomach begins breaking down the protein in the meat or cheese. Lipase then helps break down the fats in the sandwich, making it easier for your body to absorb nutrients.

Building Molecules

Enzymes aren’t just about breaking things down—they can also help build larger molecules from smaller ones. For example, when your body makes new proteins to repair cells or grow new tissue, enzymes play a key role in putting the building blocks together. In this way, enzymes act like construction workers, carefully assembling materials to create something new.

Why Enzymes Are So Important

Enzymes are essential for life. They allow the body to perform tasks like digesting food, creating energy, and repairing cells efficiently and quickly. Without enzymes, these processes would take too long to keep up with the demands of a living organism.

Understanding how enzymes work gives us insight into how our bodies function. Whether breaking down food for energy or building the proteins that make up muscles, enzymes are working hard every second to keep you alive. They are truly nature’s incredible helpers!

Directions: Let's go back to helping Mr. Pinho clean his white castle stained shirt. Turn and talk with your group and discuss what Mr. Pinho can use to break down his shirt stains. As you talk, use our new academic vocabulary:

Enzyme

Substrate

Breaking down

Macromolecule

Carbohydrates

Fats

Proteins

Building Blocks

In a human cell, there are around 1300 specific types of enzymes. 

Question: 

To clean Mr. Pinho's stain, do we need to use a specific type of enzyme or will any enzyme work? 

Directions: We are going to use hands-on enzyme models to try to figure out if enzymes only work on specific substrates. Use the 3d printed enzymes and substrates at your desk to try to figure out if enzymes can only attach to certain substrates. 

Directions: In your notebooks, answer the questions below. Use the academic vocabulary in your short response answers.