Answer:
D. It lowers the amount of energy needed to break the bonds in the substrate.
Step-by-step explanation:
Enzymes play a crucial role in catalyzing chemical reactions in cells. They do so by lowering the activation energy required for a reaction to occur. An enzyme works by binding to a specific substrate, or reactant molecule, and creating an environment around it that makes it easier for the substrate's bonds to break and for new bonds to form. This allows the reaction to proceed at a much faster rate than it would without the enzyme.
In this context, the correct answer is (D) It lowers the amount of energy needed to break the bonds in the substrate. This is because the enzyme acts to lower the activation energy required for the substrate's bonds to break, allowing the reaction to occur more easily and at a faster rate. By reducing the energy needed to initiate the reaction, the enzyme makes it more likely that the reaction will occur, and thus the rate at which products are formed is optimized.