Question

How does temperature generally effect enzyme activity?

a
Activity decreases steadily as temperature rises
b
Activity increase to an optimal point, then decrease to do enzyme denaturation
c
Activity is unaffected by temperature
d
Activity increases indefinitely with temperature

Answer 1

b

Enzyme activity typically rises with temperature as molecular motion and collision frequency increase, reaching a peak at the enzyme's optimal temperature (e.g., ~37°C for many human enzymes). Above that, heat disrupts the enzyme's tertiary structure (denaturation) and activity falls.