The specificity of an enzyme depends on
- A. the total number of amino acids in the molecule
- B. the temperature at which it works
- C. the shape and charge distribution of its active site
- D. the concentration of the substrate available
Explanation
Only a substrate whose shape and charges are complementary to the active site can bind, which is why sucrase acts on sucrose but not on maltose despite the two being very similar disaccharides. The shape of that site is determined by the folding of the chain, and so ultimately by the sequence of amino acids. Temperature and substrate concentration change the rate but never the specificity.