Enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions by lowering the activation energy necessary to break the chemical bonds in reactants and form new chemical bonds in the products. Catalysts bring reactants closer together in the appropriate orientation and weaken bonds, increasing the reaction rate.

How do enzymes perform their function?

Enzymes perform the critical task of lowering a reaction’s activation energy—that is, the amount of energy that must be put in for the reaction to begin. Enzymes work by binding to reactant molecules and holding them in such a way that the chemical bond-breaking and bond-forming processes take place more readily.

How does an enzyme accelerate a metabolic reaction?

Enzymes are biological catalysts. Catalysts lower the activation energy for reactions. The lower the activation energy for a reaction, the faster the rate. Thus enzymes speed up reactions by lowering activation energy.