Question

1.Under what circumstances might the concentrations of enzyme, substrate, and inhibitors vary in a cell?

2.What other factors influence enzyme activity in vivo?  How important are these factors in regulating metabolic pathways?

Answer 1

Factors affecting enzyme activity

Enzyme activity can be affected by a variety of factors, such as temperature, pH, and concentration.Enzymes work best within specific

Substrate concentration: Increasing substrate concentration also increases the rate of reaction to a certain point. Once all of theenzymes have bound, any substrate increase will have no effect on the rate of reaction, as the available enzymes will be saturated and working at their maximum rate.

Effects of Inhibitors on Enzyme Activity.Enzyme inhibitors are substances which alter the catalytic action of the enzyme and consequently slow down, or in some cases, stop catalysis. ... Competitive inhibition occurs when the substrate and a substance resembling the substrate are both added to the enzyme.

Other factors effecting enzyme:

Several factors affect the rate at which enzymatic reactions proceed -temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, and the presence of any inhibitors or activators.

Role of enzymes in metabolism. Some enzymes help to break down large nutrient molecules, such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, into smaller molecules. This process occurs during the digestion of foodstuffs in the stomach and intestines of animals. Each enzyme is able to promote only one type of chemical reaction.