Question

station 12—honors answer the following questions based on the graphs. 40. describe the pattern of enzyme function shown by the data in the graphs. 41. at which temperature is the enzyme functioning best? explain why.

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze graph trend

As temperature increases, enzyme - function (activity) initially increases, reaches a peak, and then decreases rapidly. This is a typical pattern of enzyme - temperature relationship due to enzyme denaturation at high temperatures.

Step2: Find optimal temperature

The temperature at which the enzyme is functioning best is the temperature corresponding to the peak of the enzyme - activity curve. This is because at this temperature, the enzyme has the highest rate of catalyzing the reaction, likely due to the most favorable conformation of the enzyme molecule for substrate binding and catalysis.

Answer:

1. The pattern shows that enzyme function (activity) increases with temperature up to a certain point, then decreases rapidly. This is because enzymes are proteins and high temperatures can cause denaturation, reducing their activity.
2. The enzyme is functioning best at the temperature corresponding to the peak of the activity curve. At this temperature, the enzyme's active - site has the most favorable shape for binding the substrate and catalyzing the reaction, maximizing the rate of the enzymatic reaction. Without specific values on the x - axis, we can't give an exact temperature value, but conceptually it's the peak - point temperature.