Chapter 18: Problem 3
The rate of a certain biochemical reaction at physiological temperature \((T)\) occurs \(10^{6}\) times faster with enzyme than without. The change in the activation energy upon adding enzyme is: (a) \(-6(2.303) \mathrm{RT}\) (b) \(-6 \mathrm{RT}\) (c) \(+6(2.303) \mathrm{RT}\) (d) \(+6 \mathrm{RT}\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Understanding the Problem
Using the Arrhenius Equation
Relating Rate Change to Activation Energy
Setting Up the Equations
Solving for Activation Energy Change
Calculating the Change in Activation Energy
Selecting the Correct Answer
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Enzyme Kinetics
Key aspects of enzyme kinetics include:
- **Rate of reaction**: Enzymes can increase reaction rates by factors of millions, as shown in our problem where the rate is accelerated by a factor of \(10^6\) when an enzyme is added. This means the enzyme makes the reaction a million times faster.
- **Reaction mechanism**: Enzymes interact with substrates to form an enzyme-substrate complex, leading to the formation of products.
- **Michaelis-Menten kinetics**: This model describes how the rate of reaction depends on the concentration of substrate and the concentration of enzyme.
Arrhenius Equation
It is expressed as:
- \[ k = A e^{-E_{a}/RT} \]
- In this equation, \( k \) is the rate constant that indicates the speed of reaction, \( A \) is the pre-exponential factor that encompasses the frequency of collisions with the correct orientation, \( E_{a} \) is the activation energy, \( R \) is the universal gas constant, and \( T \) is the temperature in Kelvin.
Role of Activation Energy
Activation energy is the minimum energy required to initiate a chemical reaction. The Arrhenius equation helps us predict how lowering the activation energy (as enzymes do) will drastically increase the reaction rate.Application in Biochemical Reactions
In the given problem, by using the Arrhenius equation, the relationship between the initial and new activation energy is analyzed to understand how enzymes make reactions exponentially faster.This lays the groundwork for understanding enzyme efficiency in various physiological processes.
Biochemical Reactions
These types of reactions are vital for maintaining life and enabling growth, reproduction, and cellular processes.
Characteristics of Biochemical Reactions
- **Specificity**: Reactions are specific to certain enzymes, meaning only particular substrates will bind with particular enzymes to produce a reaction.
- **Efficiency**: Enzymes make biochemical reactions feasible at body temperature by drastically reducing the activation energy required.
- **Regulation**: Biochemical reactions are heavily regulated to meet the needs of the organism, ensuring that reactions occur only when necessary and at controlled rates.