Final answer:
Cdc25 is a phosphatase enzyme that removes phosphate groups from molecules, particularly dephosphorylating CDKs, which is essential for cell cycle progression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of enzyme that Cdc25 is a phosphatase. Phosphatases are a category of enzymes that remove phosphate groups from molecules. This is the opposite function of kinases, which add phosphate groups. Within the context of the cell cycle, Cdc25 plays a critical role by activating cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) through the dephosphorylation of specific amino acid residues.
The activity of CDKs is essential for the cell cycle's progression, and they are regulated by the binding of cyclins and the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation process. Incidentally, the discovery of these regulatory mechanisms, including the enzymes and proteins like CDKs, cyclins, and phosphatases like Cdc25, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2001.