The turnover number of an enzyme measures
- A. how many substrate molecules one enzyme molecule converts per unit time
- B. the number of enzymes in a cell
- C. the temperature at which it denatures
- D. its molar mass
Explanation
Carbonic anhydrase converts around 600,000 molecules of carbon dioxide per second, which is why the reaction in red blood cells is essentially instantaneous. A high turnover number means a small quantity of enzyme suffices. It is a measure of catalytic efficiency rather than of abundance.
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