Final answer:
To determine the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction, monitoring the change in substrate concentration or enzyme concentration are viable methods. The reaction rate increases with substrate concentration up to the point of enzyme saturation, whereas an increase in enzyme concentration can raise the rate if substrate is available.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction can be measured by several methods. One of these methods is to monitor the change in the amount of product formed over time. In experiments where the enzyme concentration ([E]) is held constant, the rate of product formation can vary with changes in substrate concentration ([S]). As the substrate concentration increases, the reaction rate will also increase until a point is reached where the enzyme is saturated with the substrate, and no further increase in rate can be observed.
Alternatively, the reaction rate can be affected by the amount of active enzyme present. If more enzyme molecules are available to catalyze the reaction and sufficient substrate is present, the rate of reaction will increase. This relationship typically produces a linear curve when graphed, indicating a direct proportion between enzyme concentration and reaction rate, up to the point of substrate saturation.
Thus, the reaction rate of an enzymatic process can be determined by measuring either changes in substrate concentration (if enzyme is constant) or by changes in enzyme concentration (if substrate is constant), but not by measuring changes in salt concentration or simply by adding more substrate once saturation is achieved.