Final answer:
When exposed to extreme temperatures or pH levels, enzymes denature and lose their catalytic activity, significantly reducing their efficiency and impairing biological processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Effect of Extreme Temperatures and pH on Enzyme Function
When an enzyme is exposed to extreme temperatures or pH levels outside of its optimal range, it begins to lose its distinctive three-dimensional shape. This process is known as denaturation. Denaturation leads to changes in the enzyme's active site, making it less suited to bind with its substrate and consequently causing the enzyme to lose its catalytic activity. At high temperatures or at pH levels far from their optimum, enzymes undergo an irreversible change that impairs their functionality. For instance, high temperatures cause the disruption of weak bonds within the enzyme, leading to a loss of structure and function. Similarly, pH deviations from the norm can affect the enzyme’s structure by disrupting interactions at the active site, particularly affecting residues crucial for catalysis. As a result, the enzyme activity is significantly reduced or completely halted.
It's important to note that while an increase in environmental temperature can boost reaction rates in general, this is not the case when the temperature exceeds an enzyme's specific optimal range. Moreover, although enzymes are robust molecules, the correct environmental conditions are crucial for maintaining their complex structures and high efficiency in catalysis.
In conclusion, extreme temperatures and pH levels cause enzymes to denature, and this denaturation leads to a loss of catalytic activity, thereby reducing the efficiency of biological processes that rely on these enzymes.