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Enzyme Action: Lock-and-Key Model

Watch a substrate fit into an enzyme's active site, form an enzyme-substrate complex, and leave as products. This version keeps the focus on the lock-and-key model used at this level.

What This Simulation Does Not Show

  • Real enzymes are folded three-dimensional proteins, not flat outlines.
  • Molecules move randomly and there are huge numbers of collisions every second. This animation only shows one successful binding event clearly.
  • Enzyme activity also depends on temperature and pH, but this model only shows substrate fit, catalysis and product release.

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