Enzyme Activity and Kinetics

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to enzyme activity and kinetics based on lecture notes.

Acid Phosphatase

An enzyme that removes phosphate groups from organic molecules, functioning best in acidic conditions.

Nitrophenyl Phosphate

A colorless substrate used in experiments to produce nitrophenol when acted upon by acid phosphatase.

Nitrophenol

A yellow product formed from the hydrolysis of nitrophenyl phosphate by acid phosphatase, measurable by absorbance.

Spectrophotometer

An instrument that measures the absorbance of different wavelengths of light to determine the concentration of a solution.

Beer-Lambert Equation

A formula that relates absorbance (A) to concentration (c) and extinction coefficient (ε): A = ε••c.

Vmax

The maximal rate at which an enzyme catalyzes a reaction, reached when the enzyme is saturated with substrate.

Michaelis Constant (Km)

A value representing the substrate concentration at which the reaction velocity is half of Vmax; indicates substrate affinity.

Reaction Velocity (v)

The rate of an enzymatic reaction expressed as moles of product formed per minute.

Substrate Affinity

A measure of how well a substrate binds to the enzyme, with a higher affinity indicated by a lower Km.

pH Treatment

The conditions of acidity (such as pH 5.7 or 9.2) that can affect enzyme activity in experiments.