Chapter 11, Problem 89AE

Cobra venom helps the snake secure food by binding to acetylcholine receptors on the diaphragm of a bite victim, leading to the loss of function of the diaphragm muscle tissue and eventually death. In order to develop more potent antivenins, scientists have studied what happens to the toxin once it has bound the acetylcholine receptors. They have found that the toxin is released from the receptor in a process that can be described by the rate law

Rate = k [acetylcholine receptor−toxin complex]

If the activation energy of this reaction at 37.0°C is 26.2 kJ/mol and A = 0.850 s⁻¹. what is the rate of reaction if you have a 0.200−M solution of receptor-toxin complex at 37.0°C?