Question

How do enzymes work?

How do enzymes work?

They increase activation energy

They reduce the loss of energy as heat

They control the direction of a reaction

They speed up chemical reactions

Answer 1

Enzymes primarily **speed up chemical reactions**. They are biological catalysts that lower the activation energy required for a reaction to proceed, thereby increasing the rate of the reaction without being consumed in the process. Here’s how they specifically function:

1. **Lowering Activation Energy**: Enzymes provide an alternative reaction pathway that requires less energy for the reaction to occur. This is achieved by stabilizing the transition state of the reaction.

2. **Substrate Specificity**: Enzymes are specific to the substrates they bind to, which typically fit into the enzyme’s active site. The binding of the substrate induces a change in the enzyme (induced fit), facilitating the conversion of substrates into products.

3. **Reaction Control**: While enzymes can influence the direction of a reaction based on substrate and product concentrations, they do not control the inherent thermodynamics of a reaction (i.e., whether a reaction is favorable or not).

4. **Not Directly Involved in Energy Loss**: While enzymes increase the efficiency of reactions and can help minimize energy loss, their primary role is not explicitly focused on reducing heat energy loss.

In summary, the correct statement regarding enzyme function is that they **speed up chemical reactions** by lowering the activation energy required for those reactions to occur.