Answer:
Enzymes lower the activation energy of a reaction by...
- making the molecules' transition state stable
- providing alternate reaction pathways
- destabilising substrates
Explanation:
Enzymes are complex, folded protein structures - in biological processes they facilitate chemical reactions.
Molecules usually collide at random, and specific chemical reactions (breaking and forming bonds) require the correct molecular orientation and energy to react. Enzymes..
- provide an alternate reaction pathway with lower energy requirements.
- stabilize the molecules, keeping them in their transition states til they can react- these usually enter short lived, reactive and high-energy
- distort the substrate. These slightly alter their typical structures- bonds under stress are easier to manipulate and break, requiring less energy input for changes later on
Time and large amounts of energy, are needed to arrive at these orientations to allow the reactions to occur- this is a barrier called activation energy.
Thus, enzymes help by lowering the activation energy needed for the reaction (e.g. hydrolyzing a bond) to progress, and they increase the rate of chemical reactions.
