Enzymes are proteins, composed of polypeptide chains and non-protein groups. Their function is to help with the reactions of many cells and molecules by serving as catalysts. A catalyst is a substance that allows the activation energy required for a reaction by forming a temporary association with the molecules that are reacting. During this process, the catalyst itself is not permanently altered in the process, and so it can be used over and over again. Because of catalysts, cells are able to carry out chemical reactions at a great speed and at comparative low temperatures.
Almost 2,000 different enzymes are now known, each of them capable of catalyzing a specific chemical reaction. The molecule (s) on which an enzyme acts is known as its substrate. For example, sucrose is the substrate for the enzyme sucrase. Enzymes have specific structures that only its specific substrate will fit into. The polypeptide chains of an enzyme are folded in such way that they form a grove......
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