The importance of specific shapes in cells and organisms.
It is vital for shapes to be specific in cells as it allows for certain molecules to recognised and allows to
produce molecules that are more useful in the body of the organism such as the use of organisms to
make less soluble molecules to be more soluble which can be used in may processes or using receptors
that are specific in shape to detect pathogens and cause the stimulation of phagocytes to destroy a
pathogen. If shapes of a molecule weren’t able to fit together in cells then the organism wouldn’t exist
as shapes are vital in order for the organism to survive and grow.
Enzymes are catalysts and are made up of proteins and have an active site in the form of a specific 3-D
tertiary structure, due to its specific primary structure which leads to hydrogen bonds occurring at
specific places of the protein therefore having a specific alpha helix or beta pleated sheet shape
therefore having a specific tertiary structure which are held by ionic, hydrogen and disulfide bonds. The
active site initially isn’t complementary in shape to the substrate but once the substrate binds to the
active site, it molds around the substrate and apply pressure to break the bonds in the substrate which
forms e-s complexes. An example of this is maltase hydrolysing maltose into glucose in the epithelial
lining of the small intestine. This shows the importance of complimentary shapes because if maltase
wasn’t complementary to maltose then no glucose would be created and glucose is vital in aerobic
respiration as it contains oxygen which is the final electron acceptor in oxidative phosphorylation.
Therefore, less ATP is created which is vital in many metabolic processes such as the regeneration of
neurotransmitters such as acetyl choline and if there is less neurotransmitters available then less
impulses are sent across the brain or the body. These impulses may stimulate to increase our heart rate
to reduce levels of carbonic acid in our blood our stimulate us to eat, therefore this can lead to the
death of the organism.
Neurotransmitters have receptors that are complimentary to one neurotransmitter, for example D2
receptors are complimentary to dopamine. An incoming potential causes the calcium ion channels at the
presynaptic knob to open and this allows calcium ions to diffuse into the presynaptic knob and fuse with
vesicles and stimulates enzymes. The vesicles then fuse with the membrane and releases the
neurotransmitter (like acetyl choline or dopamine) the neurotransmitters move across the synaptic cleft
and bind to receptors on the sodium ion channels on the post synaptic neuron. This allows the sodium
ion channels to open and allow the sodium ions to diffuse in and depolarises the post synaptic neuron
which then causes an action potential. This shows the importance of complementary shapes because if
the neurotransmitter is not complementary to the receptor the post synaptic neuron cannot be
depolarised and the impulse cannot be transferred across the brain and the body. This can lead to
mental disorders such as schizophrenia because if dopamine cannot bind to the D2 receptors in the
mesocortical pathway, this can lead to social withdrawal or anhedonia, lack of pleasure.
T cells has specific receptors that are complementary to a specific antigen. T helper cells undergo mitosis
to stimulate a specific B cell or cytotoxic T cells. Cytotoxic T cells produce Perforin which creates holes in
It is vital for shapes to be specific in cells as it allows for certain molecules to recognised and allows to
produce molecules that are more useful in the body of the organism such as the use of organisms to
make less soluble molecules to be more soluble which can be used in may processes or using receptors
that are specific in shape to detect pathogens and cause the stimulation of phagocytes to destroy a
pathogen. If shapes of a molecule weren’t able to fit together in cells then the organism wouldn’t exist
as shapes are vital in order for the organism to survive and grow.
Enzymes are catalysts and are made up of proteins and have an active site in the form of a specific 3-D
tertiary structure, due to its specific primary structure which leads to hydrogen bonds occurring at
specific places of the protein therefore having a specific alpha helix or beta pleated sheet shape
therefore having a specific tertiary structure which are held by ionic, hydrogen and disulfide bonds. The
active site initially isn’t complementary in shape to the substrate but once the substrate binds to the
active site, it molds around the substrate and apply pressure to break the bonds in the substrate which
forms e-s complexes. An example of this is maltase hydrolysing maltose into glucose in the epithelial
lining of the small intestine. This shows the importance of complimentary shapes because if maltase
wasn’t complementary to maltose then no glucose would be created and glucose is vital in aerobic
respiration as it contains oxygen which is the final electron acceptor in oxidative phosphorylation.
Therefore, less ATP is created which is vital in many metabolic processes such as the regeneration of
neurotransmitters such as acetyl choline and if there is less neurotransmitters available then less
impulses are sent across the brain or the body. These impulses may stimulate to increase our heart rate
to reduce levels of carbonic acid in our blood our stimulate us to eat, therefore this can lead to the
death of the organism.
Neurotransmitters have receptors that are complimentary to one neurotransmitter, for example D2
receptors are complimentary to dopamine. An incoming potential causes the calcium ion channels at the
presynaptic knob to open and this allows calcium ions to diffuse into the presynaptic knob and fuse with
vesicles and stimulates enzymes. The vesicles then fuse with the membrane and releases the
neurotransmitter (like acetyl choline or dopamine) the neurotransmitters move across the synaptic cleft
and bind to receptors on the sodium ion channels on the post synaptic neuron. This allows the sodium
ion channels to open and allow the sodium ions to diffuse in and depolarises the post synaptic neuron
which then causes an action potential. This shows the importance of complementary shapes because if
the neurotransmitter is not complementary to the receptor the post synaptic neuron cannot be
depolarised and the impulse cannot be transferred across the brain and the body. This can lead to
mental disorders such as schizophrenia because if dopamine cannot bind to the D2 receptors in the
mesocortical pathway, this can lead to social withdrawal or anhedonia, lack of pleasure.
T cells has specific receptors that are complementary to a specific antigen. T helper cells undergo mitosis
to stimulate a specific B cell or cytotoxic T cells. Cytotoxic T cells produce Perforin which creates holes in
