In the Lineweaver-Burke equation, what does the y-intercept represent?

In the Lineweaver-Burke equation, the y-intercept represents 1/Vmax. This equation is a double-reciprocal plot of the Michaelis-Menten equation, which is used in enzymology to analyze enzyme kinetics.

When you plot 1/V against 1/[S] (where [S] is the substrate concentration), the resulting graph is a straight line. The equation takes the form of y = mx + b, where in this case, y is 1/V, x is 1/[S], m is Km/Vmax, and b is 1/Vmax. Therefore, the y-intercept of the plot directly corresponds to the value of 1/Vmax.

This information is critical for understanding how changes in enzyme concentration or reaction conditions affect the maximum rate of reaction, as Vmax is an important parameter in determining the efficiency of an enzyme.