A catalyst — whether chemical or biological — acts by increasing the velocity of reactions. We will now examine the kinetics of enzymatic reactions. The velocity of an enzymatic reaction is generally followed up by measuring the quantity of substrate transformed per unit time; one can also record the quantity of the product (or one of the products) formed by [...]
In this article we will discuss about the free energy of activation and the role of catalysts. An exergonic reaction is a spontaneous reaction; it can therefore yield energy usable for chemical, mechanical or electrical work. However, it should be remembered that spontaneous does not mean rapid, but only without external energy input. A spontaneous exergonic reaction can be extremely [...]
Specificity is one of the main characteristics of enzymes. It prevents the formation of by-products which happens with chemical catalysts. Specificity may be observed on the one hand in the type of reaction catalyzed by the enzyme, and on the other hand in the substrate of the reaction. Reaction-Related Specificity: A given substrate, an α-amino acid for example, can undergo [...]