In a Lineweaver-Burk plot, what is represented on the y-axis?

In a Lineweaver-Burk plot, the y-axis represents 1/v, where "v" is the rate of the reaction. This plot is a double reciprocal graph that helps visualize the relationship between substrate concentration and reaction velocity. By plotting 1/v against 1/[S], where [S] is the substrate concentration, the resulting linear graph allows for easier determination of kinetic parameters such as Vmax and Km.

The reciprocal of the reaction velocity (1/v) is essential in this context, as it linearizes the Michaelis-Menten equation, making it much simpler to analyze enzyme kinetics. The x-intercept of the plot gives the value for -1/Km, and the y-intercept represents 1/Vmax. By focusing on 1/v on the y-axis, researchers can effectively derive these key parameters without needing to calculate them directly from the hyperbolic curve of the typical Michaelis-Menten plot.