active site
Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry:
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active site
Variant: active centre
1. A site on the surface of a catalyst at which activity occurs. 2. The site on the surface of an enzyme molecule that binds the substrate molecule. The properties of an active site are determined by the three-dimensional arrangement of the polypeptide chains of the enzyme and their constituent amino acids. These govern the nature of the interaction that takes place and hence the degree of substrate specificity and susceptibility to inhibition.
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Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry
A Dictionary of Chemistry. Sixth Edition. Copyright © Market House Books Ltd, 2008. All rights reserved.
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