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The chemical reactions taking place in a cell will most likely speed up if what?

1) Increasing the temperature
2) Decreasing the concentration of reactants
3) Increasing the pressure
4) Adding a catalyst

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Chemical reactions in a cell will most likely speed up by adding a catalyst, as it provides an alternate pathway for the reaction with a lower activation energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chemical reactions taking place in a cell will most likely speed up if a catalyst is added. A catalyst works by providing an alternate pathway for the reaction with a lower activation energy, making it easier for the reactants to convert to products and thus speeding up the reaction. In the context of the options provided, this is the most definitive way to increase the reaction rate. While increasing the temperature can also speed up reactions by increasing the kinetic energy of the reactants, leading to more frequent and more effective collisions, it must be done within limits as extremely high temperatures can be damaging to cell structures.

Alternatively, increasing the concentration of reactants or the pressure can also lead to more frequent collisions and speed up the reaction; however, these are not always practical or desirable within a biological context. Decreasing the concentration of reactants would generally slow down the reaction, which makes it the least likely option to increase the speed of a reaction.

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