In the following chapter, enzyme catalysis reactions will be extensively reviewed. The first step in these reactions involves th
e binding of a reactant molecule (referred to as a substrate) to a binding site on the enzyme. If this binding is extremely efficient (that is, equilibrium strongly favors the enzyme–substrate complex over separate enzyme and substrate) and the formation of product rapid, then the rate of catalysis could be diffusion limited. Estimate the expected rate constant for a diffusion controlled reaction using typical values for an enzyme ( and Å) and a small molecular substrate ( and Å).
d) T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are poorly soluble in water, and more than 99% of the T3 and T4 circulating in blood is bound to carrier proteins. The main carrier of thyroid hormones is thyroxine-binding globulin, a glycoprotein synthesized in the liver.