Chymotrypsin is an enzyme and, as such, it possesses the following characteristics:
A. Is a catalyst: Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed or altered in the process.
C. Speeds up a chemical reaction: Enzymes work by lowering the activation energy required for a reaction to occur. This means that the reaction can occur more quickly and efficiently in the presence of an enzyme.
D. Is found in cells of some living organisms: Enzymes are found in the cells of living organisms, where they play a crucial role in many biological processes, such as digestion, metabolism, and DNA replication.
These characteristics are common to all enzymes, including chymotrypsin, which is a type of protease enzyme that is involved in breaking down proteins in the digestive system.
B. Inhibits the binding of a substrate to an active site: This statement is incorrect. Enzymes actually increase the rate of reaction by facilitating the binding of the substrate to the active site, where the reaction takes place. Inhibitors, on the other hand, can interfere with this binding and slow down the reaction.