Question

Illustrate and label the interactions between its hypothetical model of a substrate molecule bound in the active site of an enzyme.

Answer 1

There are two models that explain the interaction between enzyme and substrate -

1. Lock and key hypothesis

According to the hypothesis, the interaction between enzyme and substrate is like lock and key. The enzyme molecule is a lock and the substrate molecule is a key. Both of them are complementary to each other and the substrate molecules fit into the active site of enzyme like a key fits into a lock.

2. Induced fit theory

According to this hypothesis, the active site of enzyme is not complementary to substrate. But when the substrate molecule binds to the active site of enzyme, the active site changes its conformation to fit the substrate molecule tightly into it.

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