Why does the initial rate of an enzymatic reaction eventually plateau at a maximal velocity even though the concentration of the substrate continues to be increased?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The initial rate of an enzymatic reaction increases with increasing substrate concentration until the point where the enzyme is saturated with substrate molecules and is working at its maximal velocity. At this point, further increase in substrate concentration does not increase the reaction rate because all the enzyme molecules are already occupied with substrate molecules and cannot bind any more at a higher rate. This is known as enzyme saturation and is the reason why the initial rate of an enzymatic reaction eventually plateaus at a maximal velocity even though the concentration of the substrate continues to be increased.

Why Does the Initial Rate of an Enzymatic Reaction Eventually