Kami Export - Elijah Kennedy - Enzymes homework-study guide answer key.png

Reactant

The elements or compounds that enter into a chemical reaction.

Product

The elements or compounds that are produced as a result of a chemical reaction.

Enzyme

An organic substance (protein) that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction.

Catalyst

An inorganic substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction.

Substrate

The molecule upon which an enzyme acts.

Active site

A pocket or groove on the surface of the enzyme where substrate molecules fit.

Activation energy

The initial investment of energy required to start a chemical reaction by breaking existing chemical bonds.

Role of enzymes

To speed up chemical reactions within cells, making them occur at a rate usable by the cell.

Consequences of absence of enzymes

Reactions within the cell would occur too slowly, potentially leading to cell death.

Energy-releasing reactions

Reactions that release energy and can power reactions that require energy.