Understanding Enzyme Reaction Rates
The rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction is a measure of how quickly a substrate is converted to product by an enzyme. This is fundamental to biochemistry and molecular biology.
Introduction & History
The study of enzyme kinetics began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the work of scientists like Victor Henri and Leonor Michaelis. The Michaelis-Menten equation, published in 1913, remains fundamental to understanding enzyme kinetics.
Key Units
Katal (kat)
The SI unit of catalytic activity, equal to one mole of product formed per second.
Enzyme unit (U)
The amount of enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of one micromole of substrate per minute under specified conditions.
Turnover number (kₐₜ)
The number of substrate molecules converted to product by one enzyme molecule per second when the enzyme is saturated with substrate.
Practical Applications
Biochemistry research
Pharmaceutical development
Clinical diagnostics
Industrial biotechnology
Food science
Key Formula
Michaelis-Menten Equation
The reaction rate (v) is equal to the maximum rate (Vₘₐₓ) multiplied by the substrate concentration ([S]), divided by the sum of the Michaelis constant (Kₘ) and the substrate concentration.