Question

an enzyme is used to catalyze a metabolic reaction. what would most likely happen if an enzyme inhibitor were added during the reaction?
o a the inhibitor would cause the reverse reaction to occur.
o b the inhibitor would denature the enzyme and prevent it from functioning.
o c the inhibitor would bind to the products of the metabolic reaction.
o d the inhibitor would prevent the reaction from proceeding.
question 17 (1 point)
(01.03 mc)
in which of the following ways is the function of the surface of a microsphere similar to the function of an actual cell membrane?
o a both make it possible for the conditions in the interior to be different from the conditions outside.
o b both provide a barrier that keeps water from flowing across it, so the interior remains dry.
o c both separate the rna that forms in the interior from any rna that might form in the environment.
o d both can actively move molecules into the interior or out into the surrounding environment.

Explanation:

• For the first question:
• Enzyme inhibitors work by interfering with the enzyme - substrate interaction. They do not cause the reverse reaction (a is wrong). Denaturation (b) is a different process (usually caused by extreme conditions like high temperature or pH, not just an inhibitor in general). Inhibitors bind to the enzyme (not the products, c is wrong). They prevent the reaction from proceeding (d is correct as inhibitors block the active site or allosteric site of the enzyme, hindering the conversion of substrate to product).
• For the second question:
• The cell membrane is a semi - permeable barrier that allows the interior of the cell to have different conditions (concentration of ions, molecules etc.) from the outside. A microsphere surface also acts as a barrier. Cell membranes are not completely impermeable to water (b is wrong). While separation of RNA (c) might be a part of a more complex scenario related to early life forms, it is not the most general similarity. Microspheres do not have the active transport mechanisms (d is wrong as active transport requires specific proteins which microspheres likely lack) like a cell membrane.

Answer:

d. The inhibitor would prevent the reaction from proceeding.
a. Both make it possible for the conditions in the interior to be different from the conditions outside.