How do enzymes speed up chemical reactions? For a reaction to happen, not only must a lock and key bump into each other, they need to occur in the perfect orientation.
So, let's see how do enzymes work and how do enzymes speed up chemical reactions.
Enzymes are the vital proteins that are essential for a regular functioning of our bodies. These are the building blocks of all living beings including humans, animals, and plants. All enzymes are proteins; however, every protein isn't an enzyme. These are made up of 20 distinct types of long chain and connected amino acids. And their distinct structures determine the enzyme's function and composition. Enzymes are responsible for initiating a chemical reaction at a particular rate. Without their presence, all chemical reactions might occur at a slower speed. Chemical reactions here are referred to the process of converting one or more substance (reactant) into the other (product).
For instance, the enzymes in your gut help in breaking down the larger molecules into, the smaller ones. Or the enzymes that form your DNA use smaller molecules to produce the complex ones.
What exactly the enzymes do is keep a communication thread between two cells and keep your life, and death along with growth under control.
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Enzymes are essentially found everywhere in nature. They are environment-friendly and biodegradable catalysts that work well at lower temperatures within moderate pH values.
One of the permanent laws of nature includes the requirement of energy for initiating any kind of chemical reaction. If something needs to be changed, one has to put in some efforts. Similarly, in every chemical reaction, a specific amount of energy activation must be applied to advance the reaction. Energy activation is like a hill between the reactant and the product where reactant has to be pushed over the hill to let the reaction continue. This is when enzymes speed up the process. They somewhat lower the hill to easily instigate the chemical reaction under cell-friendly conditions.
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During the entire process, enzymes keep changing their physical forms to bind with the consecutive enzyme. They kind of form a puzzle and mold the complete reaction. Enzymes also contain certain active sites or hot spots which enable the binding system. And these are also the host for the reactions to take place allowing vital exchanges.
It is actually convenient to assume two bouncing balls to collide and form a chemical reaction. However, it's absolutely complex.
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