Substrate (biochemistry)

Substrate is like a jigsaw puzzle piece that fits into a space in a bigger puzzle. In biochemistry, the bigger puzzle is an enzyme - a special kind of protein that helps speed up chemical reactions in our body.

Just like how a puzzle piece has a specific shape that fits into a specific spot in the puzzle, a substrate has a specific shape that fits into a specific spot on the enzyme. This spot on the enzyme is called the "active site".

When a substrate fits into the active site, it's like the puzzle piece finally finding its spot in the puzzle. The enzyme can then do its job and help speed up the chemical reaction that the substrate is a part of.

Different enzymes have different shaped active sites, and different substrates fit into different active sites. It's kind of like how some puzzle pieces have different shapes depending on what part of the puzzle they belong to.

Overall, substrates are important because they help enzymes do their job and speed up chemical reactions in our body.