Read the following statements regarding the catalytic cycle of enzyme action and the nature of enzyme-substrate interactions: (A) The formation of the enzyme-substrate (ES) complex is an obligatory but transient phenomenon. (B) Substrate binding induces the enzyme to alter its shape, forming a highly stable intermediate. (C) The active site breaks the chemical bonds of the substrate to form the enzyme-product complex

Step-by-step solution

Statement (A) is correct. According to NCERT, the formation of the ES complex is an obligatory and transient phenomenon during enzyme catalysis. Statement (B) is incorrect. While substrate binding does induce the enzyme to alter its shape (induced fit), the intermediate transition state formed is unstable, not highly stable. Statement (C) is correct. In the catalytic cycle, once the enzyme fits tightly around the substrate, the active site breaks the chemical bonds of the substrate to form the enzyme-product (EP) c