Substrate Memes

Posts tagged with Substrate

Backside Attack: When Nucleophiles Strike!

Backside Attack: When Nucleophiles Strike!
Chemistry nerds unite! This meme brilliantly captures the SN2 reaction mechanism with cats! In organic chemistry, an SN2 reaction involves a nucleophile (the spotted cat) attacking a substrate (the fluffy cat) from behind in a single step. The "Suddenly from behind!!" caption is perfect because SN2 reactions are characterized by this backside attack, where the nucleophile swoops in from the opposite side of the leaving group. The wide-eyed expression of the substrate cat perfectly captures that moment of electron displacement! Next time your professor talks about inversion of stereochemistry, just picture this ambush!

Susstrate: When Biochemistry Is Looking Kinda Sus

Susstrate: When Biochemistry Is Looking Kinda Sus
The perfect collision of biochemistry and internet culture! The enzyme-substrate complex drawn here is brilliantly disguised as an Among Us character. The lock-and-key model of enzyme specificity has never been so suspicious. That substrate is definitely venting through the active site while the enzyme pretends not to notice. Biochemistry students everywhere are now cursed to see little crewmates in every enzyme-kinetics diagram for the rest of their academic careers.

Enzymes Be Like: Perfect Fits Only

Enzymes Be Like: Perfect Fits Only
This is PURE biochemical genius! The people in blue tracksuits are shaped exactly like the substrates they're meant to bind with! Just like enzymes have that perfect "lock and key" fit with their substrates, these humans are literally conforming to the surfaces around them. That bottom one sliding down the slope? That's basically induced fit theory in action! The biological machinery of your cells works the same way—enzymes don't just sit around looking pretty, they contort themselves into weird shapes to perfectly cuddle their substrate molecules. Nature's molecular matchmakers working at nanoscale speed while we're over here taking selfies!

You Did It! You Broke Noncompetitive Inhibition Down To Its Bare Essentials!

You Did It! You Broke Noncompetitive Inhibition Down To Its Bare Essentials!
The biochemistry professor has struck again! This power strip perfectly captures noncompetitive inhibition - where the substrate still desperately tries to bind to the active site, while the sneaky inhibitor molecule attaches to the allosteric site like that one person who keeps stealing your phone charger. The enzyme's shape changes just enough to make the substrate's binding less efficient, but doesn't completely block it. This is literally every biochem student's nightmare condensed into household electronics. The most elegant part? Just like real noncompetitive inhibition, both plugs can be inserted simultaneously, but the overall "reaction rate" (electricity flow) is reduced. Whoever labeled this power strip deserves a Nobel Prize in Educational Memes!

If It Fits, It Sits: Molecular Squatters

If It Fits, It Sits: Molecular Squatters
Enzyme drama at the molecular level! 🧪 The blue molecule is throwing a fit because the green one (looking way too comfy in that yellow active site) is hogging its enzyme. Classic competitive inhibition in action! Just like finding someone else's butt in your favorite chair, inhibitor molecules can perfectly fit into enzyme active sites without actually doing the chemical reaction. They just block the real substrate and chill there like they own the place. The molecular equivalent of "I was sitting there!" but with actual biochemical consequences!