BIOMOLECULES AND ENZYMES

Detailed explanation-1: -The enzyme recognizes the shape of its substrate and it is able to hold it in position in what is called the active site. The active site is the part of the enzyme that binds the substrate and carries out the reaction. Enzyme specificity means that the enzyme only binds certain molecules that have the right shape.

Detailed explanation-2: -Usually, each subunit of an enzyme has one active site capable of binding substrate. The characteristics of an enzyme derive from the sequence of amino acids, which determine the shape of the enzyme (i.e., the structure of the active site) and hence the specificity of the enzyme.

Detailed explanation-3: -Enzymes are proteins comprised of amino acids linked together in one or more polypeptide chains. This sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain is called the primary structure. This, in turn, determines the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme, including the shape of the active site.

Detailed explanation-4: -The two main mechanisms enzymes interact with their substrates are the lock and key hypothesis and the induced fit hypothesis. According to the induced fit hypothesis, the active site of the enzyme changes shape after binding of the appropriate substrate, to allow for proper fitting and catalysis to take place.