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Name: Aroo
Status: Student
Age: 17
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: December 2002
Question:
How does an enzyme accelerate a metabolic reaction?


Replies:
This question has many answers, because there are numerous mechanisms. But a typical mechanism for the catalytic activity (change in the speed of a reaction) involves the enzyme reacting with the reactant components in such a way as to orient the reactants in a way that they are more likely to react with one another. For a reaction to happen, the reactants have to be oriented with one another to react. For some reactions this is quite specific -- like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Facilitating that orientation is what enzymes do.

Vince Calder


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