Final answer:
The Michaelis-Menten equation expresses the relationship between the initial velocity of an enzymatic reaction and the substrate concentration. There are three conditions that simplify the equation to determine the effect of substrate concentration on the rate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Michaelis-Menten equation is an expression that describes the relationship between the initial velocity (V0) of an enzymatic reaction and the substrate concentration ([S]). There are three conditions that simplify the equation and make it easier to determine the effect of substrate concentration on the rate of the reaction.
- When the substrate concentration is much greater than the Michaelis-Menten constant (Km), the equation simplifies to V0 = Vmax.
- At very low substrate concentrations, the equation simplifies to V0 = (Vmax[S])/Km.
- In the initial stages of the reaction, when the substrate concentration is much smaller than Km, the equation simplifies to V0 = (Vmax[S])/Km.