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 slows down specific chemical reactions,
d. It triggers chemical reactions at any pH or temperature.
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do u still need the answer
yes
k
B
The correct answer is b. It speeds specific chemical reactions.
Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts in biological systems. They speed up chemical reactions by lowering the energy barrier, known as the activation energy, required to initiate the reaction.
Enzymes achieve this by binding to the reactant molecules, that is, the substrates, in a specific way. The region on the enzyme where the substrates bind is called the active site. This active site has a unique shape that allows it to specifically interact with its substrates.
When the substrates bind to the active site of the enzyme, the enzyme undergoes a conformational change that brings the substrates closer together, effectively promoting the formation of the products of the reaction. This binding and conformational change facilitates the conversion of the substrates into products, without being consumed in the process.
It is important to note that enzymes are highly specific, meaning that each enzyme is designed to catalyze a particular chemical reaction. This specificity is determined by the structure and arrangement of amino acids in the enzyme, which determines the shape of its active site.
Enzymes do not break down or take part in chemical reactions to form new products themselves (option a). They do not slow down specific chemical reactions (option c), nor do they trigger chemical reactions at any pH or temperature (option d). Instead, enzymes selectively accelerate specific reactions, allowing them to occur more rapidly.