Question

Saturation can be defined as?

1) denaturation of an enzyme.
2) the inability to increase reaction velocity beyond a finite upper limit.
3) inhibition of enzyme function by blocking the active site.
4) the substrate concentration at which velocity reaches one-half maximum velocity.
5) a characteristic of all uncatalyzed reactions.

Answer 1

Saturation in enzyme kinetics is the point at which every enzyme active site is occupied by substrate, and increasing substrate concentration no longer increases the reaction rate, reaching the Vmax of the enzyme. so, option 4 is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

Saturation in the context of enzyme kinetics refers to a condition where increasing the substrate concentration further does not increase the rate of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction because all the enzyme's active sites are occupied. Option 2 - the inability to increase reaction velocity beyond a finite upper limit - defines this situation accurately. When all active sites are filled with substrate, the enzymes are said to be saturated, and the reaction rate reaches a maximum or Vmax. This is a fundamental characteristic of enzyme kinetics. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) is another important kinetic property which represents the substrate concentration at which the reaction rate is at half of Vmax.

The concept of saturation is crucial for understanding enzymatic reactions and helps in determining the kinetic properties of enzymes, enabling scientists and researchers to predict how enzymes will behave under different substrate concentrations.