Final answer:
Enzymes accelerate the breakdown of substrates into products by forming an enzyme-substrate complex at the active site, catalyzing the reaction by lowering activation energy, and releasing the product while remaining unchanged.
Step-by-step explanation:
An enzyme catalyzes the breakdown of a substrate molecule into two product molecules by facilitating a two-step reaction. In the first step, the substrate binds to the enzyme at a particular location called the active site. The specific structural features of the enzyme and substrate allow for this precise interaction, and an enzyme-substrate complex is formed. This complex facilitates the reaction, as the enzyme's active site provides the correct orientation and positioning for the substrate molecules to react.
Subsequent to the formation of the complex, the enzyme catalyzes the conversion of substrate into product by making or breaking bonds. Once the product is formed, it is released from the enzyme, leaving the enzyme unaltered and available to facilitate additional reactions. The process lowers the activation energy required for the reaction, thus increasing the rate of the reaction. The enzyme-substrate complex is sometimes referred to as a 'Michaelis-Menten complex' after the scientists who first described this process.