Edit page | Page history | Printable version

Michaelis-menten equation

(Science: chemistry) equation derived from a simple kinetic model for a single-substrate non-cooperative enzyme-catalyzed reaction that successfully accounts for the hyperbolic adsorption isotherm) relationship between substrate concentration and reaction rate.

v = vmax x S/(s _ Km), where v is the initial velocity of the reaction, Km is the michaelis constant, vmax is the maximum rate approached by very high substrate concentrations and s is the initial substrate concentration.

similar equations can be derived for conditions in which the product is present and for multisubstrate enzymes.

Synonym: victor-Michaelis-Menten equation.