How do enzymes speed up chemical reactions?

Enzymes speed up chemical reactions primarily by lowering the activation energy required for those reactions to occur. Activation energy is the minimum energy needed for reactants to undergo a transformation into products. By providing an alternative pathway with a lower energy barrier, enzymes make it easier for reactants to reach the transition state and form products.

This process involves the enzyme binding to the substrate (the reactant molecule) and stabilizing the transition state. As a result, fewer energy-related obstacles are in place for the reaction to proceed, which can significantly increase the reaction rate. This characteristic of enzymes is crucial for biological processes, as it allows metabolic reactions to occur rapidly under physiological conditions.

Altering the temperature or changing the conditions can indeed influence reaction rates, but enzymes specifically catalyze reactions by lowering activation energy. Additionally, while the concentration of reactants and products can affect the dynamics of a chemical reaction, enzymes themselves do not change the concentrations of reactants or products; they facilitate the transformation instead.