Active Site

Real World Example

Imagine trying to find the right key for a lock when you have a whole ring of keys. Just as each lock has a unique shape that only one key can fit into perfectly, an enzyme's active site has a specific shape that matches only a particular substrate. In this analogy, the lock is like the active site of the enzyme, the key ring is like the various molecules floating around, and the correct key that fits the lock perfectly represents the specific substrate that binds to the enzyme's active site.