Energy of Activation and Enzyme Function

Hw from chpt 6 & 7 video

In a chemical reaction, reactants interact to form a product.
Chemical reactions are rarely spontaneous; molecules do not frequently interact without some form of activation.
This activation usually involves an input of energy, such as:
- Heat
- Sunlight
- ATP (Adenosine triphosphate)

Concept: This activation can be visualized as an "energy speed bump" that occurs during the chemical reaction.
Definition: This "speed bump" is formally called the energy of activation.
Role: It represents an energy threshold that must be overcome before the desired product can be formed from the reactants.
Graphical Representation: A graph typically illustrates the amount of energy in a chemical reaction over time or reaction progress, showing this energy barrier that substrates must surmount to become products.

There is a direct relationship between the energy of activation and the rate at which a reaction proceeds.
Inverse Proportionality: The greater the energy of activation, the slower a reaction proceeds.

Cellular Requirement: Cellular processes often require chemical reactions to occur at a faster rate than they would naturally.
Enzyme Function: Enzymes reduce the amount of energy needed for a reaction by lowering the level of this "energy speed bump" or energy of activation.
Impact on Rate: Since less energy is required, the reaction may occur at a faster rate.
Specificity: Crucially, an enzyme does not influence the initial energy level of the reactants or the final energy level of the products. Its influence is solely on the amount of energy required during the process of the chemical reaction (i.e., the activation energy).

Without the use of enzymes, many of the body's processes and metabolic reactions would proceed too slowly to sustain life.
Enzymes are essential for life as they make biological processes possible by lowering the energy of activation for numerous metabolic reactions, thereby increasing their rates to biologically relevant speeds.