Changes

An '''enzyme''' is a [[protein]] produced by a living organism that functions as a [[catalyst]].  Enzymes increase the speed and likelihood of chemical reactions within an organism's body by lowering the activation energy necessary for a reaction to occur. They are essential to all cellular functions, and life as we know it could not exist without them.

An '''enzyme''' is a [[protein]] produced by a living organism that functions as a [[catalyst]].  Enzymes increase the speed and likelihood of chemical reactions within an organism's body by lowering the activation energy necessary for a reaction to occur. This happens because the enzyme selects the particular configuration of the substrate and bends the bonds into the energetically-favorable orientation, with a consequent decrease in entropy. They are essential to all cellular functions, and most life could not exist without them, although viruses lack enzymes, but use them from their host cell.

[[Category:Reaction Kinetics]]

[[Category:Reaction Kinetics]]

[[Category:Organic Chemistry]]

[[Category:Organic Chemistry]]

[[Category:Biochemistry]]

[[Category:Biochemistry]]