Question

The lock-and-key mechanism refers to

the complementary shapes of an enzyme and a substrate.
the attractive forces between an enzyme and a substrate.
the ability of an enzyme to lower the activation energy of a reaction.
the ability of an enzyme to "unlock" the products of a reaction.
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Answer 1

the complementary shapes of an enzyme and substrate

Answer 2

A). The complementary shapes of an enzyme and a substrate.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Lock-and-key mechanism was proposed by Emil Fischer for the first time and characterized as the metaphor which helps in elucidating the specificity of the enzymatic reactions. In this metaphor, the lock is described as the enzyme while 'key' is characterized as the substrate which the enzyme acts upon. If the key is not appropriately sized, it will not fit into the active site i.e. the keyhole of the lock or enzyme and reaction will not take place. Thus, option A is the correct answer.