Enzymes | As simple as a lock and key
As simple as a lock and key
There are up to 100,000 different enzymes in one cell. Each enzyme is responsible for a single reaction within the cell, and the process works
like a lock and key. As the key, each enzyme has a specific shape. It targets a specific substrateThe substance on which an enzyme operates in a chemical reaction., the substance on which the enzyme does its work. This substrate, which matches the shape and size of the enzyme, is the lock. Each enzyme can only work with one substrate or, at most, a small number of chemically related substrates. After the substrate and enzyme come together, a new compound is activated and formed. The study of how an enzyme behaves is called enzymologyThe science of studying enzymes..
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