QuestionFind the horizontal asymptote of the Michaelis-Menten equation for chymotrypsin: $v=\frac{0.17[\mathrm{~S}]}{0.021+[\mathrm{S}]}$. What does it signify?

Studdy Solution
The leading coefficient of the numerator is0.17 and the leading coefficient of the denominator is1. Therefore, the horizontal asymptote is $$y=\frac{0.17}{1}=0.17$$The significance of this is that as the concentration [] increases, the enzymatic reaction rate will approach0.17. This is because the horizontal asymptote represents the limit of the function as [] approaches infinity.