What role do enzymes play in biochemical reactions?

Enzymes are biological catalysts that play a critical role in biochemical reactions by significantly speeding up the reaction rates. They achieve this by lowering the activation energy required for a reaction to occur. This phenomenon allows reactions to proceed more quickly and efficiently than they would without the presence of the enzyme. The lower activation energy means that more substrate molecules can reach the transition state at a given temperature, leading to an increased likelihood of reaction.

Enzymes do not provide energy for the reactions themselves; instead, they facilitate the reaction process by stabilizing the transition state and enabling the substrate to convert to product more readily. This mechanism is crucial in biological systems where reactions need to occur under mild conditions and at a rate that can support life processes.