Michaelis–Menten kinetics
Michaelis-Menten kinetics is a big fancy name that scientists use to describe how enzymes work.
An enzyme is like a special helper that helps chemical reactions happen faster. For example, enzymes in your stomach help you break down your food.
The Michaelis-Menten kinetics helps us understand how enzymes and the molecules they work on (called substrates) interact.
Imagine you have a big pile of Legos that you want to build into a tower. You have a special helper (an enzyme) who can help you build faster.
The Michaelis-Menten kinetics explains that there is a limit to how fast your helper can build the tower. This limit is called the "maximum velocity."
However, the helper can only build at this maximum velocity when there are enough Legos (substrates) for them to work on. If there aren't enough Legos, your helper won't be able to build at the maximum velocity.
The Michaelis-Menten kinetics also explains that there is a certain concentration of Legos (substrate concentration) at which the helper is able to build at half of its maximum velocity. This concentration is called the "Michaelis constant."
So, in summary, the Michaelis-Menten kinetics explains how enzymes work by showing us that there is a limit to how fast they can work (maximum velocity), and that they work best when there is a certain amount of substrate present (Michaelis constant).
An enzyme is like a special helper that helps chemical reactions happen faster. For example, enzymes in your stomach help you break down your food.
The Michaelis-Menten kinetics helps us understand how enzymes and the molecules they work on (called substrates) interact.
Imagine you have a big pile of Legos that you want to build into a tower. You have a special helper (an enzyme) who can help you build faster.
The Michaelis-Menten kinetics explains that there is a limit to how fast your helper can build the tower. This limit is called the "maximum velocity."
However, the helper can only build at this maximum velocity when there are enough Legos (substrates) for them to work on. If there aren't enough Legos, your helper won't be able to build at the maximum velocity.
The Michaelis-Menten kinetics also explains that there is a certain concentration of Legos (substrate concentration) at which the helper is able to build at half of its maximum velocity. This concentration is called the "Michaelis constant."
So, in summary, the Michaelis-Menten kinetics explains how enzymes work by showing us that there is a limit to how fast they can work (maximum velocity), and that they work best when there is a certain amount of substrate present (Michaelis constant).