Essential Review: General and Organic Chemistry
Review the basics of reaction kinetics in your general or organic chemistry textbook. Make sure that you know the meaning of order and molecularity in chemical reactions, and review the rate equations for first- and second-order reactions.
Essential Memory Work Learn to Derive the Michaelis-Menten Equation
BEFORE trying to read the entire chapter on enzymes, learn to derive the Michaelis-Menten equation from this basic model of enzyme action:
By learning this derivation, you will get some good practice at manipulating important relationships in enzyme kinetics, and you will reinforce your understanding of parameters like Vmax, kcat, and Km, which allow you to compare the efficiencies of various enzymes.
After you learn this derivation, you will find the chapter much easier to read.
For a clear, step-by-step derivation of this equation, click here.
Quiz for USM Students
(At first class on this topic -- counts as 1/10 of one exam)
From the model given as equation 8-9, derive the Michaelis-Menten equation (equation 8-20). Show all algebraic manipulations, and define all terms where they first appear.
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