Question

Question: If an enzyme in solution is saturated with substrate, the most effective way to obtain a faster yield of products is to

1. add more of the enzyme
2. heat the solution to 90°C.
3. add more substrate
4. add a non-competitive inhibitor

Short answer

1. The option “add more of the enzyme” is true.
2. The option “heat the solution to 90°C” is false.
3. The option “add more substrate” is false.
4. The option “add a non-competitive inhibitor” isfalse.

Step-by-step solution

Meaning of enzymes

Enzymes are naturally occurring biocatalysts that accelerate the rate of a reaction. They have high a degree of specificity for their substrate.

Explanation of option (A)

When an enzyme solution is saturated with substrate, the most efficient strategy to increase the product output is adding more enzymes. Adding enzymes would increase the quantity of enzymes to which excess substrates can attach and metabolize to form products.

Therefore, the given option is true.

Explanation of option (B)

Enzymes are proteins, so they are susceptible to heat. The thermal energy disrupts the hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds that stabilize the protein conformation and thus denatures at high temperatures.

The optimum temperature for enzymes ranges from 35 to 55°C. At a temperature above 55°C, enzyme denatures.Thus, heating the enzyme solution to 90°C would denature the enzymes that drastically reduce the product output.

Therefore, the given option is false.

Explanation of option (C)

Substrates are molecules that an enzyme reacts to and are highly specific to it.

When the enzyme solution is saturated with substrate, it means the solution contains more substrates than the concentration of enzymes.

Thus, adding substrate to such a solution is not advisable as it would just increase the substrate concentration in the solution but would not increase the product output.

Therefore, the given option is false.

Explanation of option (D)

Many substances affect the enzyme-catalyzed process by reducing their rate. These substances are called inhibitors. Inhibitors that bind to a site on the enzyme that is different from the site where the substrate binds are called non-competitive inhibitors. Such inhibitors deactivate the enzymes whether a substrate is present or not.

When the enzyme solution is saturated with substrate, it means the solution contains less enzyme concentration than substrates.Thus, adding a non-competitive inhibitor would further lower the concentration of enzymes available for substrate binding and would not increase the product output.

Therefore, the given option is false.