Practice Questions

Isoenzymes are multiple forms of an enzyme that catalyze the same reaction but differ in kinetic properties, allowing for tissue-specific metabolic tailoring.

DNA polymerase catalyzes the template-directed addition of deoxynucleotides to a growing DNA chain.

Absolute specificity means the enzyme acts on only one specific substrate, unlike group specificity which acts on substrates with a common functional group.

The induced fit model is exemplified by conformational changes in hexokinase upon glucose binding, which correctly orient ATP for catalysis.

Enzyme specificity arises from the unique 3D structure of the active site, which contains amino acid R-groups positioned to form interactions only with a specific substrate.

The protein portion alone is the inactive apoenzyme, which requires a non-protein cofactor to form the complete, active holoenzyme.

By lowering the activation energy, enzymes allow a much larger proportion of substrate molecules to reach the transition state at a given temperature, increasing the reaction rate.

Unlike inorganic catalysts, enzymes are highly specific and their activity is finely regulated by cellular mechanisms like allosteric control.

Km is a measure of an enzyme's affinity for its substrate, defined as the substrate concentration at which the reaction rate is one-half of the maximum velocity (Vmax).

At high substrate concentrations, all enzyme active sites are occupied. The reaction velocity reaches a maximum (Vmax), and further substrate addition cannot increase the rate.