Final answer:
Phosphorylation by protein kinases changes the structural orientation of substrate molecules, activating them and allowing them to mediate changes in cellular processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Protein kinases transfer a phosphate group from ATP to a substrate molecule in a process called phosphorylation.
This phosphorylation changes the structural orientation of the substrate molecule, thereby activating it. The activated molecules can then mediate changes in cellular processes.