Pepsin is an enzyme in the stomach that digests proteins. Because it is active in the stomach, which is highly acidic, pepsin best functions at a low pH between 2 and 2.5.

Pepsinogen is secreted by chief cells and converted into active pepsin after catalyzation by hydrochloric acid. The acid is secreted by parietal cells in response to gastrin secretion by G cells. After the stomach contents enter the duodenum of the small intestine, the acid is neutralized by bicarbonate secretions from the pancreas. This prevents the acid from damaging the walls of the small intestine.

The reactants of enzyme-catalyzed reactions are known as substrates. Enzymes catalyze formation of products from their substrates. Inhibitors hinder the efficacy of enzymes, thereby decreasing the rate of reactions, and nucleotides are the monomers of DNA and RNA.

Enzymes increase the rate of reactions through stabilizing the transition state, which decreases activation energy.

You should immediately realize that amylase is an enzyme because it ends in "-ase". Remember that enzymes are proteins; therefore they are made up of amino acids. All amino acids contain a carboxylic acid (-COOH), an amine (-NH2), and a hydrogen (-H) attached to the central carbon. Phosphate groups (-PO3) are more commonly found in lipids and nucleic acids, not in proteins. No amino acids contain phosphate groups, though phosphates can be added to certain amino acids to activate certain proteins and enzymes (phosphorylation).

Temperature and pH can affect enzyme activity because they may alter the shape and effectiveness of the enzyme through protein denaturation. Likewise, the availability of reactants and substrates controls the amount of product that the enzyme can catalyze during the reaction. If they are present in low concentrations, then they will inhibit the enzyme’s activity.

pH and temperature affect enzyme activity, as there is an optimal pH and temperature for each enzyme, and a pH or temperature too far from the optimal level can cause the enzyme to denature. Substrate concentration affects enzyme activity; increasing substrate concentration will increase the rate of reaction to the point that the enzymes are saturated.

Enzymes are catalysts that function to increase the rate of a reaction. All enzymes are proteins and they are never consumed in a reaction. Another form of biological catalyst is ribozymes, which are made of protein and RNA, but are not classified as enzymes.

The stomach is an acidic environment; therefore, one would expect pepsin to be most active at an acidic pH. The answer choice “2” is the most acidic pH. It is also the pH that is generally found in the stomach. Although a pH of 6 is slightly acidic, it is not the pH found in the stomach.

An organism's metabolism is the sum of its chemical processes. Catabolism and anabolism are different aspects of metabolism. Catabolism refers to the breakdown of organic molecules, producing useable forms of energy, such as ATP. Anabolism refers to the use of energy to build macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates.

The correct answer to this question is the products contain less energy the reactants.

The products indeed do contain less energy than the reactants because when a spontaneous reaction occurs, it releases energy, which is used to do work. Energy is released in the form of ATP and heat, not noise. Also an input of energy is required before the reaction proceeds, otherwise the reaction does not proceed.