Enzymes Flashcards
1
Q
Michaelis-Menten Equation
A
v: Reaction velocity (rate of product formation).
V max: Maximum reaction velocity when all enzyme active sites are saturated.
K m: Michaelis constant, the substrate concentration at which the reaction velocity is half of 𝑉max
Breakdown:
At low [𝑆], the equation simplifies to a linear relationship (𝑣∝S).
At high [𝑆], the reaction approaches 𝑉max, as enzymes are saturated.
How to Memorize: Think of it as a tug-of-war between the substrate concentration and Km. If S is much higher than Km, velocity approaches Vmax.
2
Q
A
kcat tells us the “speed” of an individual enzyme molecule.
[E] tells us how many enzyme molecules are present.
Think of it as:
TotalReactionCapacity = EnzymeQuantity
× EnzymeSpeed
