What is the term for an enzyme that is attached to an inert material or surface?

What is the term for an enzyme that is attached to an inert material or surface?

• A. Denatured enzyme
• B. Enzyme
• C. Substrate
• D. Immobilised enzyme

Answer: (D)

An enzyme attached to an inert material or surface is called an immobilised enzyme. Immobilisation fixes the enzyme in one place while substrates flow by or pass over it, so the reaction can proceed in a controlled, reusable setup. This arrangement often makes the enzyme more stable to changes in temperature or pH and allows it to be reused, which is especially useful in industrial processes like dairy product processing or producing high-fructose syrups, or in biosensors where the enzyme is bound to a solid support. In contrast, a plain enzyme operates freely in solution, and a denatured enzyme has lost its shape and activity. The substrate is simply the molecule that the enzyme acts on, not the enzyme itself.

An enzyme attached to an inert material or surface is called an immobilised enzyme. Immobilisation fixes the enzyme in one place while substrates flow by or pass over it, so the reaction can proceed in a controlled, reusable setup. This arrangement often makes the enzyme more stable to changes in temperature or pH and allows it to be reused, which is especially useful in industrial processes like dairy product processing or producing high-fructose syrups, or in biosensors where the enzyme is bound to a solid support. In contrast, a plain enzyme operates freely in solution, and a denatured enzyme has lost its shape and activity. The substrate is simply the molecule that the enzyme acts on, not the enzyme itself.