123 School Work

Enzyme controlled reaction

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  I may be able to carry out an investigation into the rate at which substrate is converted into product during an enzyme-controlled reaction. In a specific enzyme controlled reaction, the substrate molecules combine with the active site of an enzyme, as in all hydrolysis reactions, water participates in the breakdown, with the release of 'products' which diffuse back into the environment around the active site. The process continues as long as there are substrate molecules to be converted, as the enzyme molecule is unchanged at the end of the reaction. The enzyme itself is found in the tissues of most living things and catalyses the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water oxygen. It is an easy reaction to follow as the oxygen that is released can be collected and measured.
  
  Enzyme concentration
  
  At low enzyme concentration there is great competition for the active sites and the rate of reaction is low. As the enzyme concentration increases, there are more active sites and the reaction can proceed at a faster rate. Eventually, increasing the enzyme concentration beyond a certain point has no effect because the substrate concentration becomes the limiting factor. Basically this is just common sense as if there are more enzymes present, and then the increased amount of active sites will be available for the substrate to slot into. However, as long as there is plenty of substrate available, the initial rate of reaction increases linearly with enzyme concentration...