Diffusion and Kinetics with Immobilized Enzymes1 1The authors' research and the preparation of this chapter were supported by Grants No. GM 20993 and CA 17245 from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service.

This chapter discusses the analysis of the kinetic behavior of enzymes entrapped in or bound to membranes or other supports, as can be observed from macroscopic measurements. The growing employment of immobilized enzymes in various technological applications requires an understanding of the overall kinetic properties to design the systems in which the potential of enzymes can be fully exploited. Immobilized enzymes can also serve as experimental and theoretical models for bound enzymes in living systems so that their study has a broader scope than that of technological utility. It is recognized that in the cellular environment, most enzymes are localized in various cell compartments and the catalytic properties can be different from those of the same enzymes in free solution. The phenomena related to the structure of the heterogeneous enzymic environment are receiving more attention in cellular physiology. Soil chemistry and other areas of agricultural chemistry also provide a theater of great scientific and practical significance for the action of bound enzymes.