B7

Question 1

Explain how competitive and non-competitive inhibitor affects Km values and Vmax values

Answer 1

Competitive:
-Km value higher because more substrate needed to reach Vmax
-V max the same

Non-competitive
-Km value the same
-Vmax value lower becasue some enzymes can’t take part so lower rate of reaction

Question 2

What is Vmax?

Answer 2

• maximum rate of enzymatic reaction at a point where all active sites of an enzymes are occupied by substrates
  (how fast can enzyme catalyse the reaction)

Question 3

What is Km?

Answer 3

• substrate concentration at 1/2 of maximum rate of enzymes reaction
• high Km means high substrate concentration is needed to saturate an enzyme (low affinity of the enzyme to the substrate)