which feature of an enzyme determines the chemical process it aids?

Question

blues · Answer

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anonymous · Answer

that the enzyme is highly specific in the reactions it catalyses.

anonymous · Answer

as in the lock and key hypothesis.

blues · Answer

But the features of the enzyme which determine that specificity are subtle.

anonymous · Answer

that's the closest answer one can give to such a question.

blues · Answer

Yes, it pretty much is. :D

anonymous · Answer

The size and shape of the enzyme's active site (where the reaction takes place) along with the intracellular localization of the enzyme both determine which specific reactions it catalyzes.

blues · Answer

Yes, the textbooks only deal with the structure of the active site. But in real life the energetics of binding and conformational changes during catalysis which actually drive catalysis are more important.