Biology Question

essayons89

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I was wondering if I could get some help with a little biology. There is something I'm confused about. The chapter we are on has to do with enzymes but I'm unsure what is meant by the substrate of an enzyme.

For instance:
Potatoes have an enzyme called peroxidase that breaks down hydrogen peroxide. If I have a test tube containing hydrogen peroxide and drop a piece of potato in it there will be foaming. I know the enzyme causing this comes from the potato but what is the substrate? Is it the peroxide? The textbook is vague in its description of substrates.

Thanks.
 

sillyitiliangrl

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Originally Posted by Essayons89

I was wondering if I could get some help with a little biology. There is something I'm confused about. The chapter we are on has to do with enzymes but I'm unsure what is meant by the substrate of an enzyme.

For instance:
Potatoes have an enzyme called peroxidase that breaks down hydrogen peroxide. If I have a test tube containing hydrogen peroxide and drop a piece of potato in it there will be foaming. I know the enzyme causing this comes from the potato but what is the substrate? Is it the peroxide? The textbook is vague in its description of substrates.

Thanks.
a substrate is substrate "is a molecule upon which an enzyme acts". in this example you are right, the peroxide.
 

ut0pia

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Yea, it's the peroxide. I hate how vague biology books are. I remember being just as confused as you are about the exact same thing...They expect you to look at the pictures though because science people are visual. So if you look at a picture you will probably see some sort of small glob called the enzyme joining into a much larger glob, the substrate and transforming it ...
 
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