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 [...]
We will first consider the effects of the variations of two physical factors, temperature and pH. We will then examine certain chemical agents (or effectors) which can modify the kinetics of enzymatic reactions and are either activators or inhibitors. 1. Effect of Temperature: The study of the initial velocity of an enzymatic reaction as a function of temperature reveals two [...]
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 [...]