What is a common characteristic of enzymes?

Enzymes serve as biological catalysts that facilitate chemical reactions in living organisms. A fundamental characteristic of enzymes is their ability to lower the activation energy required for a reaction to proceed. By reducing this energy barrier, enzymes enable reactions to occur more rapidly and under milder conditions compared to processes that occur without their presence. This is key to sustaining the speed and efficiency of metabolic pathways within cells.

The mechanism by which enzymes lower activation energy involves providing an alternative reaction pathway. They do this through several means, such as stabilizing transition states, orienting substrates in favorable positions, and promoting the formation of intermediates. This aspect emphasizes the crucial role of enzymes in biochemistry, as they make it possible for biological processes to happen at rates conducive to life.

This understanding of how enzymes function highlights the importance of their unique properties, including their specificity for particular substrates and their ability to be regulated by various factors. Both temperature and pH can significantly affect enzyme activity, making them sensitive to changes in their environment, contrary to the assertion that they are temperature-sensitive but not pH-sensitive.