Enzymes as biological catalysts: the induced-fit model, activation energy, and how temperature, pH, concentration and inhibitors affect rate.
Enzymes are globular proteins that act as biological catalysts — they speed up reactions by lowering the activation energy and are not used up. Each enzyme has an active site with a shape complementary to its substrate.
How enzymes work
The lock-and-key model pictures a rigid active site; the better induced-fit model says the active site changes shape slightly as the substrate binds, forming the enzyme–substrate complex and straining bonds so the reaction proceeds with less energy. The enzyme then releases the products and is free to repeat.
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