How Do Enzymes Affect The Rate Of Reaction

An enzyme is a biological catalyst, meaning that it is a substance that possess the ability to increase or speed up the rate of reaction without itself being used up in the process. Enzymes provide an alternate reaction pathway by lowering the activation energy needed for a reaction to occur. For two molecules to react they must collide with each other, however, they have to collide with sufficient energy. Sufficient energy means that between them they have enough energy to overcome the energy barrier to reaction. This is called the activation energy. Even though enzymes can alter the rate of reaction, they lack the ability to alter the position of the equilibrium. Enzymes are usually highly selective, catalyzing specific reactions only due