What are Enzymes and How Do They Work?

Enzymes are unique proteins that function as biological catalysts. For example, enzymes hasten chemical reactions in life forms without being used up in the course of the reaction. Their vital functions make all life processes, such as digestion, energy, DNA replication, and cell repair, fast and efficient under comfortable conditions (including body temperature and pH). Enzymes are specific to the reaction they act on. Furthermore, enzymes acting on a broad range of molecules or molecules with different types of bonds may often only act on a specific molecule or a certain class of molecules. How Enzymes Work Enzymes work based on the lock and key-induced fit model. For instance, they work through: Substrate Binding A substrate is the molecule that an enzyme works on. The substrate goes into a certain area of the enzyme known as an active site, like a key into a lock. The Enzyme-Substrate Complex After the enzyme has bound to its substrate, it alters in shape a little in order t...