BIOC 2580 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Enzyme Assay, Enzyme Kinetics, Turnover Number

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Biochemistry
• Course: BIOC 2580
• Professor: Enoka Wijekoon

Document Summary

Synopsis: enzymes catalyze most biochemical reactions, governing the chemical changes, which we call metabolism. We can gain some understanding of enzyme behaviour through the study of rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions, and by the mathematical analysis of their rate, known as enzyme kinetics. Simple measures of enzyme reactions include activity, specific activity (activity per unit mass) and turnover number (activity per mole of enzyme). Turnover number also represents the actual number of times an enzyme molecule reacts per second. Enzymes speed up the rate of a reaction by a definite amount, proportional to quantity of enzyme present. Enzyme assay is the process or measuring enzyme catalyzed reaction rate. Enzyme kinetics: mathematical analysis of how the observed reaction rate varies with substrate concentration; kinetic behaviour can be used to test models of reaction mechanism (rules out wrong models). The enzyme is placed above the reaction arrow because it"s a catalyst, not consumed in the reaction.