Final answer:
Enzymes are effective catalysts because they lower the activation energy of chemical reactions. They do this by bringing substrates together in the right orientation, compromising bond structures, providing an optimal environment, and participating directly in the reaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Enzymes are chemical catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions by lowering their activation energy. Enzymes consist of proteins with an active site that provides a unique chemical environment for substrates to react. Enzymes can promote reactions by bringing substrates together in an optimal orientation and by compromising the bond structures of substrates, making it easier for bonds to break and reform with other molecules. Enzymes can also provide the optimal environmental conditions for a reaction to occur and participate directly in the chemical reaction itself by forming transient covalent bonds with the substrates.