Chemistry
Using Enzyme Kinetics to Determine Catalytic Efficiency from Michaelis-Menten Parameters
Quick fact
The enzyme catalase—which breaks down toxic hydrogen peroxide—has one of the highest catalytic efficiencies known, approaching the limit set by the rate at which molecules can collide in water, around 10⁹ M⁻¹s⁻¹.
Why this is interesting
Picture two enzymes given the same substrate. One is a sluggish factory, the other a lightning-fast machine. How do biochemists tell them apart with a single number?