Question

The main function of enzymes in organic reactions is to:

• A. Increase reaction temperature
• B. Increase reaction rate
• C. Change reaction mechanism
• D. Inhibit reaction progress

Hint:

A small quantity of enzyme can catalyze thousands of reactions because enzymes are regenerated at the end of the reaction.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Enzymes are biological catalysts produced by living organisms. They speed up chemical reactions without being consumed during the reaction. A catalyst works by lowering the activation energy required for a reaction.

Step 1: Understand activation energy. For a chemical reaction to occur, reactant molecules must possess a minimum amount of energy called activation energy. Without a catalyst, many reactions occur very slowly.

Step 2: Understand the role of enzymes. Enzymes provide an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy. As a result:

• More molecules can react successfully.

• The reaction proceeds faster.

• The enzyme itself remains chemically unchanged.

Step 3: Analyze the options. Enzymes do not:

• Increase temperature.

• Stop reactions.

• Get consumed permanently.
Their primary role is to increase the reaction rate. Therefore, the correct answer is: Increase reaction rate