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Enzymes are one of the key proteins in cells and facilitate chemical reactions. How does a typical enzyme catalyze a chemical reaction?

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Correct Answer: B. It reduces activation energy of a chemical reaction
Enzymes reduce the activation energy of chemical reactions by binding substrate(s) into energetically favorable orientations. They greatly reduce the activation energy, but do not eliminate it completely. Enzymes are completely reusable—they do not participate in the reaction as a substrate. Even when cofactors are needed for the successful action of the enzyme and though they may be tightly bound, they are not covalently bound to the enzyme. Enzymes do not add additional energy to chemical reactions as heat would, for example.
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