An enzyme is a special kind of catalyst. How does it work?
a
It breaks down and takes part in chemical reactions to form new products.
b
It speeds specific chemical reactions.
c
It triggers chemical reactions at any pH or temperature.
d
It slows down specific chemical reactions.
The correct answer is b. An enzyme works by speeding up specific chemical reactions. Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts, which means they facilitate chemical reactions without being consumed or permanently changed themselves. They do this by reducing the activation energy required for a reaction to occur, making it easier for the reaction to take place. Enzymes accomplish this by binding to the reactant molecules, called substrates, and bringing them together in a way that allows the reaction to occur more readily. In addition, enzymes are highly specific in their function, meaning they usually catalyze only one type of reaction or a narrow range of related reactions.
