Question

If an enzyme solution is saturated with substrate, then the most effective way to obtain an even faster yield of the products would be to add

• A. more of the enzyme
• B. a non-competitive inhibitor
• C. an allosteric inhibitor
• D. more substrate

Answer 1

The correct option is A more of the enzyme

Enzyme concentration and substrate concentration play a pivotal role in deciding the rate of the reaction. If enzyme concentration is less than the substrate concentration, fewer substrate molecules will be converted into the product(s) and the remaining substrate molecules will be left without being converted into the product(s). Then the most effective way to obtain an even faster yield of the products would be to add more of the enzyme. The enzyme added can react with the remaining unreacted substrate to convert them into the product(s). Thereby, increasing the yield of product(s).

Non-competitive inhibitors will bind at a site other than the active site and change the conformation of the enzyme. The changed conformation may cause the enzyme to lose its catalytic power and thereby the product yield will be hampered.

Allosteric inhibitors are generally the low molecular weight substances that form a part of the chain of reaction in a metabolic pathway. They function by binding with the specific sites on enzymes other than active sites and decrease the enzyme action. The decrease in enzyme action further leads to a decline in the yield of the product(s).

If a system is already saturated with substrate concentration, adding more substrate to it will not increase the yield of product(s) unless more enzyme is also added.