Question

What are 3 reasons that enzyme progress curves plateau?

Answer 1

1. Concentration of substrate

When the concentration of substrate is limiting even if the concentration of enzyme is increasing, then the rate of enzymatic reaction achieves a plateau. This is because even if the number of enzyme molecules are increasing, the number of substrate molecules are limiting. There are no unoccupied substrate molecules which can bind to the enzyme molecules.

2. Concentration of enzyme

When the concentration of enzyme is limiting even if the substrate concentration is increasing, the reaction rate achieve a plateau. This is because even if the number of substrate molecules are high, there is no free enzyme molecule to bind to it. Therefore there is no further increase in the rate of reaction.

3. Constant pH and temperature

If the process of an enzymatic reaction is maintained at a constant pH and temperature, then the rate of the reaction will achieve a plateau. There will be no increase or decrease in the rate of the reaction.

Please rate high.