ACS Biochemistry Complete Practice Exam 2025

The Lineweaver-Burke plot, also known as the double-reciprocal plot, is a graphical representation of enzyme kinetics that is derived from the Michaelis-Menten equation. This transformation into a linear form facilitates the determination of key kinetic parameters such as Km (the Michaelis constant) and Vmax (the maximum reaction velocity).

In this plot, the x-axis represents 1/[S] (the inverse of substrate concentration), and the y-axis represents 1/V0 (the inverse of the initial reaction velocity). The equation of the line can be expressed as:

1/V0 = (Km/Vmax)(1/[S]) + 1/Vmax.

From the linear equation, the slope of the line is Km/Vmax, the y-intercept is 1/Vmax, and the x-intercept is -1/Km. This allows for the direct determination of both Km and Vmax from the slope and intercepts.

Therefore, the significance of the Lineweaver-Burke graph lies in its ability to enable researchers and biochemists to calculate important parameters that describe enzyme kinetics, providing insight into enzyme efficiency and substrate affinity. This makes it a fundamental tool in the study of enzyme behavior under varying conditions.