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Enzymes act only on a specific substrate due to the active site of the enzymes fits perfectly with the substrate. Like 2 puzzle pieces, they can only go together and not with anything else.

Enzymes catalyze or help a reaction take place. They bind substrates and then help position them in order that the chemical reaction between these substrates can take place. If they bound things other than the substrates they would be much less efficient in catalyzing the reactions.

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What is the substance on which the enzymes works?

A substrate


How are substrates like keys and enzymes like locks?

Enzymes have an active site that is specific for a substrate - therefore enzymes only work when the right substrate is present. The surfaces of the enzyme and the substrate fit together - like a lock and key - allowing the enzyme to fulfil its function. The theory of "induced fit" is more widely accepted - it is similar, but the enzyme shape changes to accommodate the substrate.


Why do enzymes usually only work on one substrate (or group of closely related substrates)?

Enzymes have specific active sites that bind to substrates in a complementary manner based on their shape and chemical properties. This specificity allows enzymes to interact with only certain substrates or closely related ones that can fit into their active sites. Any mismatches in shape or chemical properties may prevent effective binding and inhibit the enzyme's activity.


Why do enzymes have an active site?

The structure of an enzymes and its active site determine which substrates will work for the enzyme. This is called the lock and key method. The active site is the lock and the substrate is the key.


Why does enzymes only work on one substance?

Enzymes have a specific shape that is complementary to the shape of their target substrate. This specificity allows enzymes to bind to only certain substrates, aiding in catalyzing specific chemical reactions. Furthermore, the active site of the enzyme is designed to interact with specific functional groups on the substrate, enhancing its specificity.

Related Questions

Can an enzyme work on different substrates?

No, because an enzyme is a protein. The function of each protein is determined by its shape. The protein is only that protein and can do its job only when it is in its specified shape. Since an enzyme is a protein, it has a specific shape that is made for one particular substrate.


What is the substance on which the enzymes works?

A substrate


How enymes work?

Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in cells by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur. They do this by binding to specific substrates and facilitating the conversion of these substrates into products. Enzymes are highly specific in their actions, as they typically only catalyze one type of reaction.


How does substrate concentration and pH affect enzymes?

Substrate concentration will affect enzymes because substrates are specific to enzymes. The pH will affect enzymes because certain enzymes will work better in certain pH levels.


How does the lock and key mechanism work?

The lock and key mechanism describes how enzymes interact with specific substrates. Enzymes have active sites that bind to complementary substrates like a key fitting into a lock. This specific binding allows the enzyme to catalyze a chemical reaction with the substrate.


How are substrates like keys and enzymes like locks?

Enzymes have an active site that is specific for a substrate - therefore enzymes only work when the right substrate is present. The surfaces of the enzyme and the substrate fit together - like a lock and key - allowing the enzyme to fulfil its function. The theory of "induced fit" is more widely accepted - it is similar, but the enzyme shape changes to accommodate the substrate.


Why do enzymes usually only work on one substrate (or group of closely related substrates)?

Enzymes have specific active sites that bind to substrates in a complementary manner based on their shape and chemical properties. This specificity allows enzymes to interact with only certain substrates or closely related ones that can fit into their active sites. Any mismatches in shape or chemical properties may prevent effective binding and inhibit the enzyme's activity.


Enzymes are often bigger than the chamicals they bind to They also have a specific shape How do these facts help explain the way enzymes work?

The shape of the enzyme allows it to only accept certain substrates. For example, if you are lactose intolerable you cannot have lactose (a sugar) due to the fact that you do not have lactase (an enzyme) to break the lactose down. Enzymes, themselves, do not, split chemicals the split organic substrates such as carbohydrates, lipids (fats) and proteins.


Why do enzymes have an active site?

The structure of an enzymes and its active site determine which substrates will work for the enzyme. This is called the lock and key method. The active site is the lock and the substrate is the key.


Why does enzymes only work on one substance?

Enzymes have a specific shape that is complementary to the shape of their target substrate. This specificity allows enzymes to bind to only certain substrates, aiding in catalyzing specific chemical reactions. Furthermore, the active site of the enzyme is designed to interact with specific functional groups on the substrate, enhancing its specificity.


Why are enzymes said to be specific?

Enzymes are highly specific in their action. For example, enzyme maltase acts on sugar maltose and not on lactose or sucrose. Different enzymes may act on the same substrate but give rise to different products. For example, raffinose gives rise to melibiose and fructose in the presnce of enzyme sucrase while in the presence of enzyme melibiase it produces lactose and sucrose. Similarly an enzyme may act on different substrates like sucrase can act on both sucrose and raffinose producing different end products.


How do enzymes work, and can you provide a diagram to illustrate their mechanism?

Enzymes are biological molecules that act as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions in living organisms. They work by binding to specific molecules, called substrates, and lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur. This allows the reaction to proceed more quickly and efficiently. Enzymes are highly specific, meaning they only catalyze specific reactions. As for a diagram illustrating the mechanism of enzymes, I recommend searching for enzyme mechanism diagrams online or in biology textbooks for a visual representation.