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Enzymes are specific proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body. Enzyme concentration affects the reaction rate, with low concentrations leading to slow reactions and high concentrations leading to a maximum rate. Enzymes are specific to certain reactions and bind to substrates. The most efficient reaction occurs when all enzyme sites are occupied. Reaction rate measurement can be used to determine enzyme concentration.
Enzymes are proteins that allow chemical reactions in the body to happen many times faster than they otherwise would. In some cases, a reaction will not take place unless a specific enzyme is present. Along with the pH, temperature and substrate concentration, the enzyme concentration has an important effect on the reaction process. Assuming that the amount of the substance, or substrate, participating in the chemical reaction remains the same, a low concentration can lead to a chemical reaction that occurs slowly. On the other hand, a high concentration can speed up a reaction, eventually reaching a maximum possible rate.
Each enzyme is specific to a particular chemical reaction or group of reactions. An attachment site on the enzyme binds to its specific substrate while a reaction takes place. After the reaction, the substrate is released and the enzyme can be used again.
When studying enzyme concentration and observing its effect on a reaction, an experiment usually begins with relatively low concentrations of the enzyme. This means that substrate is usually present in excess at the start. The rate of the reaction can be measured by the amount of product formed over time. As the enzyme solution becomes more concentrated, collisions between enzymes and substrate molecules are more likely to occur. This means that as the concentration increases, the reaction rate accelerates linearly, until it reaches a certain level where it starts to flatten out.
The most efficient possible reaction occurs when every site on every enzyme is continuously occupied by substrate. Once this point is reached, a higher concentration of enzyme is required to increase the rate of reaction. This makes new enzymes available to bind to the substrate. When all substrate molecules are attached to the enzymes, increasing the enzyme concentration will no longer speed up the reaction process. The extra enzymes added will have no stock substrate to work with and the reaction rate remains at maximum level.
If all factors that can alter reaction rates, such as pH, temperature, and substrate concentration, are fixed, reaction rate measurement becomes one way to measure enzyme concentration. Reaction rate measurements are made and mathematical equations are used to precisely define the amount of active enzyme. When measuring concentrations, it is important to ensure that there is sufficient substrate to saturate all enzymes in the solution.
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