Are enzymes consumed during a chemical reaction?

1 Answer
Nam D.
Jul 9, 2018

No.

Explanation:

Enzymes are biological catalysts. Catalysts are not consumed in a chemical reaction, they just speed up the rate of the chemical reaction without being used up. Well, technically, they give an alternative pathway for a reaction to happen and are used up at some point, but then a second chemical reaction with the alternative pathway creates the catalyst molecule again, and so we therefore say that the catalyst is not used up again.

For example, let the catalyst be #C#, #A# and #B# as the reactants, and #D# as the product. The reaction is then:

#A+Bstackrel(C)->D#

But what is really happening is:

#A+C->AC#

#B+AC->ABC#

#ABC->CD#

#CD->C+D#

Note that #A# and #B# both react together on the catalyst surface to make #D# and thats why it appears out of nowhere.

I got this from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalysis

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