Question

Why the maximum intitial rate cannot be reached at low substrate concentrations

Answer 1

Answer:

The maximum initial rate cannot be reached at low substrate concentrations because the enzymes will convert substrate to product and no substrate will be left for the reaction to reach its maximum initial rate.

Explanation:

The rate of reaction is measured by the changes in the substrate and product concentration of an enzyme kinetic reaction. The initial rate is measured when the enzymes begin to bind with their substrates. When the concentration of the substrate is plotted on the x-axis against the number of product formation (per minute) on the y-axis, a non-linear plot is formed. From the plot, we can see that as the substrate concentration increases the product formed also increases rapidly and after a certain point Enzyme saturation occurs.

Enzyme saturation is achieved when all active sites are filled with substrate and the rate of reaction reaches its maximum limit. At saturation rate of reaction can’t increase vertically but it increases horizontally.