Enzymes are catalysts. Most are proteins.

(A few ribonucleoprotein enzymes have been

discovered and, for some of these, the catalytic activity is in the RNA part rather than the
protein part. Link to discussion of these ribozymes.)

Enzymes bind temporarily to one or more of the reactants — the substrate(s) — of the
reaction they catalyze. In doing so, they lower the amount of activation energy needed and
thus speed up the reaction.

Most of these interactions are weak and especially so if the atoms involved are farther than
about one angstrom from each other. So successful binding of the substrate in the active site
of the enzyme requires that the two molecules be able to approach each other closely over a
fairly broad surface. Thus the analogy that a substrate molecule binds its enzyme like a key in
a lock.

This requirement for complementarity in the configuration of substrate and enzyme explains
the remarkable specificity of most enzymes. Generally, a given enzyme is able to catalyze
only a single chemical reaction or, at most, a few reactions involving substrates sharing the
same general structure.

Enzyme Function
In simple terms, an enzyme functions by binding to one or more of the reactants
in a reaction. The reactants that bind to the enzyme are known as the substrates
of the enzyme. The exact location on the enzyme where substrate binding takes
place is called the active site of the enzyme. The shape of the active site just fits
the shape of the substrate, somewhat like a lock fits a key. In this way only the
correct substrate binds to the enzyme.

Once the substrate or substrates are bound to the enzyme, the enzyme can
promote the desired reaction in some particular way. What that way is depends on
the nature of the reaction and the nature of the enzyme. An enzyme may hold two
substrate molecules in precisely the orientation needed for the reaction to occur.
Or binding to the enzyme may weaken a bond in a substrate molecule that must be
broken in the course of the reaction, thus increasing the rate at which the reaction
can occur.

An enzyme may also couple two different reactions. Coupling an exothermic

reaction with an endothermic one allows the enzyme to use the energy released by
the exothermic reaction to drive the endothermic reaction. In fact, a large variety
of enzymes couple many different endothermic reactions to the exothermic
reaction in which ATP is converted by hydrolysis to ADP. In this way, ATP serves as
the molecular fuel that powers most of the energy-requiring processes of living
things.

How do Enzymes Function?

Enzymes lower the activation energy by temporarily combining with the chemicals that are involved in
reactions to carry out their functions. These chemicals are substrates and each substrate is enzyme
specific. The activation site of the enzyme will fit with only one kind of substrate. This is called as
enzyme substrate complex. Once the enzyme substrate complex is formed, the substrate is converted
into a product. The enzyme structure is neither consumed or changed after the reaction is over. You
can read more on how do enzymes work.

This was some information regarding enzyme function. Enzymes are very important for a living
organism, as they carry out reactions at the cellular level. This helps in generation of energy that is
ATP molecules and many other molecules needed for a survival of an organism. I hope this brief
article on enzyme function and reaction has helped you get some information regarding these
proteins.