Biochemistry: The Chemical Reactions of Living Cells, Volume 2 - D. Metzler 1980

Enzymes: Protein Catalysts of Cells
Mechanisms of Enzymatic Catalysis
Microscopic Reversibility

One of the important principles of Statistical Mechanics, THE PRINCIPLE OF microscopic reversibility, states that The Mechanism of a reverse chemical reaction must be strictly the reverse of the mechanism of the forward reaction. It follows from this principle that if the mechanism of the forward reaction is known, the mechanism of the reverse reaction is also known. Furthermore, the applicability of this principle implies that the forward and reverse Reactions Catalyzed by an enzyme must take place at the same Active Site of the enzyme. The principle of microscopic reversibility is particularly useful when discussing the plausibility of a given mechanism. Assuming that a specific mechanism for a reversible reaction is operating, we, According to the principle of microscopic reversibility, uniquely determine the mechanism of the reverse reaction. Sometimes the resulting mechanism of the reverse reaction appears absurd, in which case the researcher attempts to find a more adequate mechanism for the reverse reaction.



Last update: 06/08/2026

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