Chemical Sciences

Biochemistry

1913

Intermediate

Michaelis-Menten Equation

v = \frac{V_{\max}[S]}{K_m + [S]}

Enzyme reaction rate saturates as substrate concentration increases.

By Leonor Michaelis, Maud Menten

Chemical Sciences

1913 · Leonor Michaelis

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Why it matters: Foundation of enzymology, drug metabolism, and systems biology.

Discoverers: Leonor Michaelis, Maud Menten (1913)

What does it mean?

Enzyme reaction rate saturates as substrate concentration increases.

Why should I care?

Foundation of enzymology, drug metabolism, and systems biology.

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East — Applications

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Derivation

Variables & Units

Symbol	Name	Unit	Meaning
$v$	Rate	—	Reaction velocity
$V_max$	Max rate	—	Maximum velocity
$K_m$	Michaelis constant	—	Half-saturation concentration
$[S]$	Substrate	—	Substrate concentration

Worked Example

At [S] = K_m, v = V_max/2.

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Sources & further reading

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