When you have more laborers, you can build a house faster. It is the same with enzymes. The more enzyme molecules are present, the faster would be the rate of reaction.
This is so because when more enzyme molecules are present, more substrate molecules can be acted upon at the same time. This means that the total substrate molecule are broken down quicker.
However, this rate of reaction increases till a certain time until the amount of substrate becomes limiting. This is simple to follow because when most of the substrate has already been acted upon, it leaves only
a few to break down and a lot of enzyme molecules. So the rate of reaction levels out.
So, if you draw a graph of enzyme concentration on the horizontal axis and rate of reaction on the vertical axis, the graph would be a diagonal line which levels off at a certain time. This is when the amount of substrate becomes limiting.
If the amount of substrate is limitless (which is seldom the case), the line would keep on increasing. Hope you've understood it perfectly!
This is so because when more enzyme molecules are present, more substrate molecules can be acted upon at the same time. This means that the total substrate molecule are broken down quicker.
However, this rate of reaction increases till a certain time until the amount of substrate becomes limiting. This is simple to follow because when most of the substrate has already been acted upon, it leaves only
a few to break down and a lot of enzyme molecules. So the rate of reaction levels out.
So, if you draw a graph of enzyme concentration on the horizontal axis and rate of reaction on the vertical axis, the graph would be a diagonal line which levels off at a certain time. This is when the amount of substrate becomes limiting.
If the amount of substrate is limitless (which is seldom the case), the line would keep on increasing. Hope you've understood it perfectly!
