Describe what happens to an enzyme after it has catalysed a reaction
Biology · High School · Wed Jan 13 2021
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After catalyzing a reaction, an enzyme remains unchanged and is ready to participate in another catalytic cycle. Enzymes are biological catalysts that facilitate chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur. During the reaction, the enzyme's active site binds to the substrate, facilitating the conversion of the substrate into products.
Importantly, the enzyme itself is not consumed or altered by the reaction. Once the products are formed, they are released from the enzyme's active site, and the enzyme is free to bind to new substrate molecules and catalyze additional reactions. This ability of enzymes to repeatedly participate in catalytic cycles makes them highly efficient and crucial for various biological processes.