An enzyme is a special kind of catalyst. How does it work?
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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.
b. It speeds specific chemical reactions.
b. It speeds specific chemical reactions. An enzyme catalyzes specific chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to proceed, thereby increasing the rate of the reaction.
The correct answer is b) It speeds specific chemical reactions.
Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts in biological systems. They speed up specific chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur. Activation energy is the energy needed to start a chemical reaction.
Enzymes work by binding to specific molecules called substrates, and then facilitating the conversion of these substrates into new products. The region of the enzyme where the substrate binds is called the active site. The active site has a specific shape that allows it to bind to the substrate and catalyze the reaction.
Once the substrate binds to the enzyme's active site, the enzyme can undergo a conformational change, which helps in bringing the reactants closer together and stabilizing the reaction intermediates. This lowers the activation energy, making it easier for the reactants to convert into products. After the reaction is complete, the product is released, and the enzyme can be reused to catalyze more reactions.
It is important to note that enzymes are highly specific in their action. Each enzyme catalyzes a particular reaction or a group of closely related reactions. This specificity is due to the precise shape of the active site, which allows only specific substrates to bind.
Therefore, option b) is the correct answer as enzymes speed up specific chemical reactions.