entsyymiyksikkö

Entsyymiyksikkö, often abbreviated as U, is a unit of enzymatic activity. It is defined as the amount of enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of one micromole of substrate per minute under specified conditions. These conditions typically include a defined temperature, pH, and substrate concentration. The concept of the enzyme unit was introduced to standardize the measurement and comparison of enzyme concentrations, making it easier to quantify enzyme activity across different experiments and laboratories.

The SI derived unit for enzyme activity is the katal (kat), where one katal is equivalent to one mole of reaction per second. However, the enzyme unit (U) is still widely used in many scientific and industrial applications due to its historical prevalence and convenience. One katal is equal to 600,000 enzyme units. Understanding enzyme units is crucial in fields such as biochemistry, molecular biology, and clinical diagnostics, where enzyme assays are routinely performed to assess enzyme levels, enzyme inhibitors, or the efficiency of enzymatic processes. The specific conditions under which an enzyme unit is determined are critical and must always be stated when reporting enzyme activity.