How does an enzyme speed up reactions?

Answer 1

chemical reactions involve collisions between molecules. most collisions don't have either the right orientation or enough energy for the reaction to proceed. the molecules just bounce off each other, unchanged. incidentally that is why reactions proceed faster as the temperature increases - high temperature means molecules are moving faster and are more likely to have the required energy to react.

enzymes are protein catalysts that force reactant molecules into the correct orientation and lower the required energy for a collision to produce a reaction.

Answer 2

An enzyme is a Biological catalyst. When the substrate enters the active site of a enzyme it speeds up a reaction. This is helped by the temperature and PH being at optimum (just the right about so the enzyme is not denatured.) Things like a competitive substrate may get into the active site, these do not cause a reaction and so slow down the process as there is more competition for a substrate.

hope that helped!

Answer 3

All enzymes work in theory by lowering the ΔG of a reaction. Every reaction has a ΔG, which is basically the "bump" the initial reaction energy must overcome before the reaction can proceed. The form the substrates are in during the instant it is overcoming the bump is called the transition state, many enzymes work by stabilizing this state. More specifically, enzymes can mechanistically act in several ways, all of which lower ΔG:

# Lowering the activation energy by creating an environment in which the transition state is stabilized (e.g. straining the shape of a substrate-by binding the transition-state conformation of the substrate/product molecules, the enzyme distorts the bound substrate(s) into their transition state form, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to complete the transition). # Lowering the energy of the transition state, but without distorting the substrate, by creating an environment with the opposite charge distribution to that of the transition state. # Providing an alternative pathway. For example, temporarily reacting with the substrate to form an intermediate ES complex, which would be impossible in the absence of the enzyme. # Reducing the reaction entropy change by bringing substrates together in the correct orientation to react. Considering ΔH alone overlooks this effect.

Answer 4

It lowers the activation energy of the reaction.

Answer 5

Enzymes are proteins that serve as catalysts for chemical reactions. They speed up reaction rates by lowering the activation energy for a reaction.

Answer 6

Enzymes act as catalysts in living systems.

Answer 7

it lowers the activation energy