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AAT Bioquest

Do enzymes decrease the activation energy of a reaction?

Posted July 6, 2023


Answer

Yes, enzymes decrease the activation energy of a reaction. 

Chemical reactions need energy to get started. This energy is known as activation energy. Enzymes are catalysts. Like all catalysts, they work by lowering the activation energy of a chemical reaction. That means they reduce the amount of energy needed to start the chemical reaction, thereby causing the reaction to be faster and more efficient.

Additional resources

Partitioning Entropy with Action Mechanics: Predicting Chemical Reaction Rates and Gaseous Equilibria of Reactions of Hydrogen from Molecular Properties

Enzymes

Amplite® Universal Fluorimetric MMP Activity Assay Kit *Green Fluorescence*