What effect do enzymes have on activation energy?

Enzymes play a critical role in biochemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required for those reactions to occur. Activation energy is the energy barrier that must be overcome for a reaction to proceed. By providing an alternative reaction pathway and stabilizing the transition state, enzymes reduce the amount of energy needed for reactants to be converted into products. This allows the reactions to occur more efficiently and at a faster rate, even at lower temperatures.

The ability of enzymes to decrease activation energy is central to their function as biological catalysts. This characteristic enables enzymes to facilitate necessary biochemical processes within cells, helping to sustain life by making metabolic reactions more energetically favorable without being consumed in the process.