Question

An enzyme is a biomolecule that increases the rate of a chemical reaction. An enzyme is a kind of _______.

Answer 1

A) catalyst
B) translator
C) ribosome
D) inhibitor

Answer 2

I was trying to explain this myself, but it's getting difficult. Here's something from our best friend, Wikipedia.

Enzymes are large biological molecules responsible for the thousands of metabolic processes that sustain life. They are highly selective catalysts, greatly accelerating both the rate and specificity of metabolic reactions, from the digestion of food to the synthesis of DNA.

Now, there are types of enzymes. One is an enzyme inhibitor. Have you learned about that? Chances are they expected you to slip up and choose D as your answer.

Answer 3

A) Catalyst. Enzymes don't change before and after the reaction, and make the reaction easier and faster (use less activation energy).

Answer 4

In the field of chemistry catalysts are defined as chemical substances which accelerate the speed of a reaction between substrate molecules enabling product formation at a much faster rate. Enzymes are regarded as BIOcatalysts ( Bio=life) since they are found in living cells and carry out cellular reactions at a rate necessary to sustain life. For eg sugar (sucrose) stored in a jar doesn't breakdown on its own to form glucose and fructose , though this reaction is thermodynamically feasible the RATE at which it occurs is extremely slow ( maybe it might take 100's of years for the products to form). The same sugar when consumed by you is instantly broken down by invertase ( an enzyme) to glucose and fructose which supply energy to your cells when catabolized. If invertase was absent in cells it would have taken you a lifetime to breakdown a single sugar molecule to glucose and fructose and derive energy from them. A reaction that slow cannot support life.