51. Enzymes-Making Chemistry Work in Cells

This lecture begins by reviewing the crucial nature of energy coupling, and then describes the activation energy of a reaction, which represents an initial “push” required to make even exergonic reactions run in many cases. The lecture then closely examines the role and function of enzymes, proteins that selectively lower the activation energy of specific reactions, allowing those reactions to run efficiently. The lecture concludes by exploring the general ways in which cells regulate enzyme function.