Living organisms depend on biochemistry to power various chemical reaction cycles which are important for the overall biological functioning of an organism. Chemical reactions occur at a specific rate in certain conditions and require input energy (activation energy) to be supplied before a reaction can begin. Since a reaction cycle consist of many consecutive step, slowing one step slows down the whole cycle. Enzymes are proteins which act as catalysts in biochemical reactions and speeds up reactions to rates that are high enough for biological functioning. Enzymes manage this by providing an alternative reaction route with lower activation energy.
The breakdown of ...