An Enzyme's Specificity Can Be Due To

Question

An enzyme's specificity can be due to:
A) the ratio of catalyzed rate to the uncatalyzed rate of reaction.
B) molecular recognition based on structural complementarity.
C) amount of enzyme produced by the cell.
D) amount of substrate available.
E) metabolic activators.

Accepted Answer

Enzyme specificity is primarily determined by the molecular recognition between the enzyme and its substrate, based on structural complementarity. The enzyme's active site has a specific shape that only allows certain molecules to fit and bind, leading to catalysis of a particular reaction. The other choices may affect the rate of the reaction but not necessarily the specificity of the enzyme.