Question

The reaction catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase is?

1) Conversion of carbon dioxide to carbonic acid
2) Conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate ion
3) Conversion of bicarbonate ion to carbon dioxide
4) Conversion of bicarbonate ion to carbonic acid

Answer 1

Carbonic anhydrase catalyzes the conversion of CO₂ and H₂O into H₂CO₃, which subsequently dissociates into HCO₃⁻ and H⁺, speeding up the removal of CO₂ from tissues.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reaction catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase is the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) to carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), which then dissociates into bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) and hydrogen (H⁺) ions. Carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme found in red blood cells, facilitates this reaction to enable the transport of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. Without this enzyme, the reaction would proceed too slowly to be effective in removing CO₂ efficiently from the tissues.