Question

What is the correct term for the area on the enzyme which binds to and interacts with the substrate?

a. Substrate binding site
b. Active site
c. Allosteric site
d. Cofactor
e. Amino acid bridge

Answer 1

The area on the enzyme where the substrate binds and interacts is called the active site. It is highly specific to the enzyme's substrate and facilitates the transformation of substrate to products through catalysis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct term for the area on the enzyme which binds to and interacts with the substrate is the active site. The active site is a specific region within an enzyme where the substrate fits in a highly specific manner, often compared to a "lock and key" model. This specificity is due to the unique combination of amino acid side chains that create a precise chemical environment suitable for catalyzing the enzyme's specific reaction. Competitive inhibitors, which resemble the substrate, bind to the active site and prevent the substrate from binding. In contrast, allosteric inhibitors bind to a different part of the enzyme, called the allosteric site, which induces a conformational change affecting the active site.

The enzyme's active site provides a unique setting where substrate molecules are transformed into products through enzymatic reactions. Enzymes are remarkably specific, acting on only one or a few substrates due to the exact match between the enzyme's active site and the substrate's shape. This specificity facilitates catalysis by properly aligning substrates and promoting chemical transformations within the enzyme-substrate complex.

Answer 2

b. Active site

Step-by-step explanation:

The active site of an enzyme, also called the active center, is the area of ​​the enzyme to which the substrate binds, so that the reaction occurs.

Enzymes are proteins. Certain characteristics in its tertiary structure are those that determine the shape of the active site of the enzyme, and therefore delimit the substrates on which the enzyme can act. In other words, the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme also determines the structure of the active site, and gives specificity to the enzyme, which can only act on certain substrates: those capable of binding to its active site.

Many times, the active site has the shape of a cleft or a cavity in the structure of the enzyme. The active site is usually formed by side chains of specific residues, and it is for this reason that it often has a three-dimensional structure different from the rest of the enzyme. The structure and composition of the active center is configured so that only a certain substrate has sufficient affinity to bind to this area of ​​the enzyme