Enzymes and ATP

[twenty10]

Hello everyone,
I'm new to this forum. I am currently taking biology correspondence and am having troubles with a couple questions.

Lacatse hydrolyzes lactose into glucose and galactose. Galactose is then converted to another glucose by galactosidase. Outline the reaction involving these enzymes using a word equation.

I initially thought:
LactASE + H2o -> glucose and fructose

and had no clue for the second part.


Then I looked on the net and found these 2 equations:


galactosidase
Lactose + H2O ----------> galactose + glucose

Galactose oxidase
Galactose + O2 --------------> galactohexodialdose + H2O2

Are these 2 equations about something totally different?



Also, I am not sure about this question:
How does the structure of ATP make it an effective energy carrier? Where does the energy stored in the molecules come from and how is it released?

The biology course is for the last year in highschool, so please bare with me and not make explanations to complicated.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

[keenangp]

Hmm.. Not my expertise but I think I can help a bit.

I believe the first reaction is a hydrolytic breakdown process, but the second looks characteristic of a peroxisome, which applies strong redox reactions to macromolecules, breaking them down to a specific product and hydrogen peroxide H2O2.

I'm taking a wild stab here in thinking that..

Lactose+H2O ->> Galactose+Glucose.
Glucose --Cellular respiration-->>ATP (Redox)
Galactose+O2--Peroxisome-->>Galactohexodialdose +H2O2 (Redox)
H2O2--Peroxisome-->> H2O+O (Redox)
Galactohexodialdose-->> Other cellular functions.


When ATP is produced, phosphates which normally repel each other (negatively charged) become bonded, this results in an instable molecule which is very reactive. Thus it carries energy. Energy release from ATP can be released into the environment via entropy. (This is how we warm up our muscles by shivering.) But is normally harnessed by ATP couping. Where ATP hydrolysis, an exergonic process, is coupled with an exergonic reaction.

I would go more in detail but my dinner is waiting, good luck!

[twenty10]

keenangp ,

Thanks a lot for your time and the info, it definitely helped! You're great!

[keenangp]

You're welcome