Enzymatic Activity Has an Optimum Temperature Because

Question

Enzymatic activity has an optimum temperature because
A) the component amino acids have varying melting points
B) the rate of reactions is thermodynamically controlled
C) the side chains of essential residues are chemically degraded at higher temperatures
D) raising the temperature speeds up the reaction until protein denaturation sets in
E) the organism dies beyond a certain temperature

Accepted Answer

Enzymatic activity has an optimum temperature because raising the temperature speeds up the reaction until protein denaturation sets in. Beyond that point, the protein structure is lost, and the enzyme activity irreversibly declines. Therefore, the best answer is D.