Question

Which is not a trait of enzymes?
(a) Proteinaceous nature
(b) Specific in nature
(c) Speed up the rate of biochemical reaction
(d) Used up in reaction

Answer 1

The living state is a non- equilibrium steady state which produces energy by metabolism. Every metabolic reaction starts with the help of activation energy such as a catalyst that initiates the rate and efficiency of the reaction.

Complete Answer:
Enzymes are the proteinaceous substance that is made up of globular protein of high molecular weights which catalyze the reaction without changing itself. Different enzymes act upon a different substrate or maybe on the same substrate but the product of every reaction is different which makes enzymes highly specific in action. It accelerates the reaction without changing the direction of the reaction.

Additional information:
The mode of enzyme action depends on lock and key theory and induced fit theory.
The lock and key theory were put forth by Emil Fischer in 1894, according to this theory both enzyme and substrate have a specific structure in which substrate acts like a key that fixes lock shape enzyme. This binding lowers activation energy and proceeds with the reaction. This explains the specificity of an enzyme where the enzyme only allows to bind the specific substrate which fits in a lock and the complex which form is called an enzyme-substrate complex. In this process, the nature and composition of the enzyme do not change and the same enzyme can be used repeatedly.
The induced-fit theory was put forth by Daniel E. Koshland in 1959. In this theory, the active site has two regions: buttressing and catalytic. The buttressing site holds substrate at the correct position which shows the conformational change in the active site of enzymes, due to conformational change the active site brings the catalytic region opposite to the substrate bond. The catalytic region weakens the bonds by the electrophilic and nucleophilic force which helps in the binding of enzyme and substrate.

So, the correct answer is ‘Used up in reaction’.

Note: The enzyme action is inhibited by several internal and external factors like heat, radiations, and heavy metal salts. The substance which shows a similar structure with substance act as a competitive inhibitor by which enzyme is unable to partake in the catalytic change of substrate. In some cases, noncompetitive enzymes bind at a site other than the binding site which destroys the functional group and no product form.