Michaelis apparatus

The Michaelis apparatus is a laboratory device designed to determine the rate of enzymatic reactions. It is named after the German biochemist Leonhard Michaelis, who in 1913, independently of the Model, developed the kinetic equation for the enzymatic reaction.

The Michaelis apparatus consists of a thermostat that maintains a constant temperature necessary for the enzymatic reaction. A flask with a reaction mixture containing an enzyme and substrate is placed in a thermostat. Using an electromagnet, samples are taken from the reaction mixture at certain intervals for analysis.

By measuring the concentration of substrate or reaction product in selected samples, the initial rate of an enzymatic reaction at a given substrate concentration can be determined. By repeating the experiment at different concentrations of the substrate, a curve is constructed depending on the initial reaction rate on the substrate concentration, from which the kinetic parameters of the enzyme are calculated.

Thus, the Michaelis apparatus makes it possible to precisely control the conditions of the enzymatic reaction and obtain reliable data on its kinetics, necessary for studying the mechanisms of action of enzymes.