Subtopic: Fundamentals of Biomolecules, enzyme kinetics
Question Statement:
Protein concentration of a crude enzyme preparation was 10 mg mL-'. 10 L of this sample
gave an activity of 5 umol min' under standard assay conditions. The specific activity of
this crude enzyme preparation is
units mg'
GATE 2019
Biotechnology
Official Answer Key:
50 to 50
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
### **Official Solution & Step-by-Step Derivation (GATE BT 2019 Q.35)**
**1. Governing Concept & Syllabus Classification**:
- **Section**: BT
- **Question Type**: **NAT** (1 Mark)
- **Core Topic**: Biochemistry, Microbiology & Molecular Biology
**2. Detailed Step-by-Step Analytical & Scientific Derivation**:
- **Mathematical & Quantitative Formulation**:
- Problem Statement: *"Protein concentration of a crude enzyme preparation was 10 mg mL-'. 10 L of this sample
gave an activity of 5 umol min' under standard assay conditions. The specific activity of
this crude enzyme preparation is
units mg'..."*
- Identifying governing bioprocess / mathematical relation:
- Following standard Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics:
$v = \frac{V_{max}[S]}{K_m + [S]}$
where $K_m$ is the substrate concentration at which reaction rate is half of $V_{max}$.
$k_{cat} = \frac{V_{max}}{[E]_0}, \quad \text{Catalytic Efficiency} = \frac{k_{cat}}{K_m}$
- **Calculated Quantitative Value**: **50 to 50**.
**3. Final Answer / Verification Summary**:
- **Official GATE Answer Key**: **50 to 50**
- **Scoring Criteria**: 1 Mark (Negative marking: -0.0 marks).
Practice This in Real CBT Exam Interface
Test yourself with the official TCS-iON palette, virtual calculator, and immediate performance analytics.