Enzymes increase the rate of reaction by lowering the activation energy- To do this the enzyme forms a complex with the substrate
- substrate+enzyme= enzyme/substrate complex= enzyme and product
- After the enzyme has catalysed a reaction it is free for more use
-The lock and key hypothesis gives us a model to help us understand what happens; at the active site the substrate combines with the enzyme which has a specific shape
However, it is now thought the lock and key mechanism is a simplified version of what can happen
-According to evidence from x-ray crystallography, chemical analysis of active sites, the site is not as rigid as suggested; the induced fit hypothesis shows us that the active site is still specific in its shape and arrangement but rather more flexible
-When the substrate enters the active site, the enzyme moulds around it to form the complex
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