Final answer:
Enzymes facilitate chemical reactions by binding substrates and inducing a transition state that lowers activation energy. The induced fit model describes how enzymes adjust their shape to bind substrates optimally. Enzymes resume their original shape after the reaction and can catalyze additional reactions without being consumed.
Step-by-step explanation:
Enzymes and Substrates Relationship
Enzymes are biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to proceed. During these reactions, enzymes bind to molecules called substrates, forming enzyme-substrate complexes. The induced fit model explains this interaction where the enzyme adjusts its shape slightly to fit the substrate more snugly upon binding, which optimizes the reaction conditions for the chemical reaction to occur. After the reaction, the substrates are transformed into products, and they are released from the enzyme. The enzyme itself is not consumed in the reaction and returns to its original structure, ready to catalyze another reaction.
The specificity of enzymes for their substrates is a result of the unique amino acid composition within the enzyme's active site, which creates a chemical environment ideally suited for the reaction with its specific substrates. This interaction demonstrates why enzymes are vital for biological processes; they facilitate reactions that are essential for life at a speed that allows for proper biological function without being used up in the reactions they catalyze.