Biology / Unit 3 Bio 0514 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Enzymes as Catalysts
Captions available
The idea
An enzyme is a protein catalyst that lowers a specific reaction's activation energy without being consumed or changing that reaction's overall free-energy change.
In practice
Nearly every reaction inside a cell, from digestion to DNA replication, proceeds at a usable rate only because a specific enzyme catalyzes it.
Where people slip
An enzyme changes a reaction's speed, never whether the reaction is exergonic or endergonic.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for Biology