The bonds between the enzyme and substrate must be

Options

A. Weak and long-lived
B. Weak and short-lived
C. Strong and long-lived
D. Strong and short-lived

Answer

To answer the question regarding the bonds between the enzyme and substrate, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Enzymes and Substrates**:
- Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions. They are typically proteins that bind to specific molecules known as substrates.

2. **Formation of Enzyme-Substrate Complex**:
- When an enzyme interacts with its substrate, they form a temporary complex called the enzyme-substrate (ES) complex. This is a crucial step in the catalytic process.

3. **Types of Bonds Formed**:
- The bonds between the enzyme and substrate are not strong covalent bonds. Instead, they are characterized by weaker interactions. There are four main types of bonds or interactions that can occur:
- **Hydrogen Bonds**: These are weak attractions between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom.
- **Van der Waals Interactions**: These are weak attractions that occur between molecules due to transient local partial charges.
- **Hydrophobic Interactions**: These occur when nonpolar molecules aggregate to avoid contact with water, which can play a role in the binding of substrates to enzymes.
- **Electrostatic Interactions**: These are attractions between positively and negatively charged groups.

4. **Nature of the Bonds**:
- It is important to note that these bonds are generally weak and short-lived. This means they can easily break and reform, allowing for the dynamic nature of enzyme-substrate interactions.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Based on the explanation, we conclude that the bonds between the enzyme and substrate are weak and short-lived. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is that the bonds are "weak and short-lived."

### Final Answer:
The bonds between the enzyme and substrate must be weak and short-lived.

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