How do enzymes function as biological catalysts?

How do enzymes function as biological catalysts?

• A. They increase the temperature of reactions
• B. They speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy
• C. They alter the products of chemical reactions
• D. They provide energy for chemical reactions

Answer: (B)

Enzymes function as biological catalysts by speeding up chemical reactions through the mechanism of lowering the activation energy required for those reactions to occur. Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy needed for reactants to undergo a transformation into products. By providing an alternative pathway for the reaction, enzymes make it easier for the reactants to achieve the necessary energy level, thereby increasing the rate of the reaction without being consumed in the process. This ability to lower activation energy is critical in biological systems where many reactions would be too slow to sustain life if reliant solely on the heat energy from the environment. Enzymes are highly specific, meaning that each type of enzyme typically catalyzes a particular reaction or set of reactions, allowing for precise control over metabolic processes. The other options, while relevant to chemical reactions in some capacity, do not accurately describe the primary role of enzymes. They do not increase the temperature of reactions, generate energy, or change the products of the reactions they facilitate; instead, they merely enhance the speed and efficiency of the reactions they catalyze.

Enzymes function as biological catalysts by speeding up chemical reactions through the mechanism of lowering the activation energy required for those reactions to occur. Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy needed for reactants to undergo a transformation into products. By providing an alternative pathway for the reaction, enzymes make it easier for the reactants to achieve the necessary energy level, thereby increasing the rate of the reaction without being consumed in the process.

This ability to lower activation energy is critical in biological systems where many reactions would be too slow to sustain life if reliant solely on the heat energy from the environment. Enzymes are highly specific, meaning that each type of enzyme typically catalyzes a particular reaction or set of reactions, allowing for precise control over metabolic processes.

The other options, while relevant to chemical reactions in some capacity, do not accurately describe the primary role of enzymes. They do not increase the temperature of reactions, generate energy, or change the products of the reactions they facilitate; instead, they merely enhance the speed and efficiency of the reactions they catalyze.