Question

DNA polymerase is an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of new DNA during the S phase of cellular division. If an organism suffered from a disease that resulted in a lowering of the pH in its body tissues, what effect would this have on the rate of cellular division?

Answer 1

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Step-by-step explanation:

Enzymes are generally proteinous in nature and are sensitive to pH. They have optimal ranges of operation and outside these ranges, they either become deactivated or outrightly denatured depending on how far away the pH is from the optimal range.

Hence, if an organism suffers from a disease that resulted in the lowering of the pH in its body tissues beyond the operating range, it may result in the deactivation/denaturing of the DNA polymerase enzyme which will, in turn, halt the synthesis of new DNA and cause cell division to stop.