Question

PLEASE ANSWER DUE TONIGHT: What happens if an enzyme is not functioning in a chemical reaction in a living organism that needs it?

The reaction stops.
The reaction proceeds, but much more slowly.
The reaction proceeds faster without the interference.
There is no change in the reaction rate.

Answer 1

If an enzyme is not functioning, the reaction it catalyzes proceeds much more slowly, as enzymes are crucial for reducing activation energy and allowing biochemical reactions to occur quickly enough to sustain life.

Step-by-step explanation:

If an enzyme is not functioning in a chemical reaction in a living organism that needs it, the reaction proceeds, but much more slowly. Enzymes are critical biological catalysts that greatly accelerate the rate at which chemical reactions occur within living organisms. Without the presence of enzymes to reduce the activation energy for reactions, biochemical processes could take substantially longer—ranging from hours to days—instead of occurring in less than a second as they typically do with functional enzymes.

An enzyme's ability to catalyze a reaction is due to its specificity for its substrate, which has a unique shape and electrical charge that matches the enzyme's active site. In addition, an enzyme operates most effectively under certain conditions, like optimal temperature and pH, further emphasizing its role in ensuring efficient biochemical reactions. In sum, if enzymes were not functioning, it would severely compromise the efficiency and viability of biological processes necessary for life.

Answer 2

Enzymes are proteins that allow certainchemical reactions to take place much quicker than the reactions would occur on their own. Enzymes function as catalysts, which means that they speed up the rate at which metabolic processes and reactionsoccur in living organisms.