Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of enzymes?
A.
They change shape when they bind their substrates.
B.
They can catalyze reactions in both forward and reverse directions.
C.
Their activity is sensitive to changes in temperature.
D.
They are always active on more than one kind of substrate.
Enzymes are biological catalysts with specific characteristics. Let’s analyze each option:
A. They change shape when they bind their substrates.
- This is true. Enzymes undergo conformational changes upon substrate binding, a phenomenon known as induced fit.
B. They can catalyze reactions in both forward and reverse directions.
- This is true. Enzymes can facilitate reversible reactions, depending on the conditions and equilibrium.
C. Their activity is sensitive to changes in temperature.
- This is true. Enzymes have optimal temperature ranges, and deviations can affect their activity or denature them.
D. They are always active on more than one kind of substrate.
- This is not true. Enzymes are typically specific to one type of substrate or a few closely related substrates.
The correct answer is D. They are always active on more than one kind of substrate.