Reaction Kinetics

Abstract

Biochemical reactions are continually taking place in all living organisms and most of them involve proteins called enzymes, which act as remarkably efficient catalysts. Enzymes react selectively on definite compounds called substrates. For example haemoglobin in red blood cells is an enzyme and oxygen, with which it combines, is a substrate. Enzymes are important in regulating biological processes, for example as activators or inhibitors in a reaction. To understand their role we have to study enzyme kinetics which is mainly the study of rates of reactions, the temporal behaviour of the various reactants and the conditions which influence them. Introductions with a mathematical bent are given in the books by Rubinow (1975), Murray (1977) and the one edited by Segel (1980). A biochemically oriented book, Roberts (1977) for example, goes into the subject in more depth.