Question

A transporter protein displays much higher affinity towards glucose than galactose. We should expect that

a. Its Km for glucose should be much smaller than for galactose
b. Its Km for glucose should be much higher than for galactose

Answer 1

A transporter protein with higher affinity for glucose compared to galactose has a lower Km value for glucose, indicating less substrate is needed to reach half the maximum transport speed.

Step-by-step explanation:

In biology, when discussing transporter proteins and their affinity for specific molecules, the term Km is used to describe the Michaelis-Menten constant, a measure of the affinity of the transporter for a given substrate. A lower Km value indicates a higher affinity, as it means less substrate is needed to saturate the transporter to half its maximum velocity (Vmax).

Therefore, if a transporter protein has a higher affinity towards glucose when compared to galactose, we would expect it to have a lower Km for glucose than for galactose.A transporter protein with higher affinity for glucose compared to galactose has a lower Km value for glucose, indicating less substrate is needed to reach half the maximum transport speed.