Question

Describe what happens to an enzyme after it has catalysed a reaction

Answer 1

Enzymes remain unchanged after catalyzing a reaction and can continue to facilitate additional reactions. They operate by binding substrates at their active sites, where they lower the activation energy and release the products after the reaction, ready to start the process again.

Step-by-step explanation:

After an enzyme has catalyzed a reaction, it remains unchanged and is capable of facilitating more reactions. The process starts with the enzyme binding to a substrate at the active site, forming an enzyme-substrate complex. The specific interactions at the active site facilitate the transformation of the substrate into product(s) through a series of steps which typically lower the activation energy required for the reaction. Once the products are formed, they are released, and the enzyme reverts to its original state, ready to bind to another substrate and repeat the process. Enzymes are highly specific, only catalyzing reactions with substrates that precisely fit into their active sites.

Enzymes can also sometimes participate in the reaction by temporarily forming a covalent bond with the substrate, yet they still return to their original form post-reaction. This characteristic of enzymes is essential for the functionality of biological systems, allowing for the efficient and specific catalysis of a plethora of biochemical reactions necessary for life.

Answer 2

Well during an enzyme catalyzed reaction the enzyme bonds with a specific substrate at the active site. This is called an enzyme-substrate complex. The substrate is converted into a specific product, but the enzyme remains unchanged. Enzymes accelerate reactions by factors of at least a million.Enzymes are not used up in a chemical reaction. Usually, the enzyme will "reset" and be ready to use in another reaction. This is due to the fact that enzymes are proteins, and their shape is what they use in a chemical reaction. Initially, the enzyme has a particular shape. Something happens to the enzyme (usually a shape change, called a conformation change, brought on by the presence of two or more chemical reactants), and the enzyme catalyzes the reaction. After the reaction is catalyzed, the product is released, and the enzyme can "relax." This means it goes back to its normal shape, ready to do it all over

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