What role do enzymes play in chemical reactions?

Prepare for the VCE Biology Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Enzymes are biological catalysts that facilitate chemical reactions within living organisms by lowering the activation energy required for those reactions to occur. This means that they enable reactions to proceed more quickly, increasing the reaction rate without being consumed in the process. Once a reaction has taken place, enzymes can be reused for subsequent reactions, maintaining their availability for ongoing catalytic activity.

The efficiency and specificity of enzymes make them essential for various biochemical pathways, allowing cells to perform necessary functions under conditions that would otherwise be too slow. Enzymes do not alter the overall energy change of a reaction or the balance of products and substrates; they simply provide an alternative pathway for the reaction. This ability to speed up reactions while remaining unaffected is a defining characteristic of enzymes, underscoring their crucial role in biological processes.

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