Chapter 6.2, Problem 1NV

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Definition of the term chemical reaction, reactant, product, activation energy, catalyst, enzyme, substrate, active site.

Explanation of Solution

Chemical reaction: A chemical reaction is a process, in which two or more substances undergo a process of ionic or atomic rearrangement causing changes in their overall chemical and physical nature.

Reactant: The substances that undergo the process of change to transform into something else during a chemical reaction are known as reactants. They are written on the left side of the chemical equation.

Product: The substances which are the result of any chemical reaction are known as the products. These are written on the right side of a chemical equation.

Activation energy: It is the minimum amount of energy required for a specific reaction to take place. This energy is required to activate or excite the stable reactant molecules to undergo a chemical rearrangement.

Catalyst: It is a molecule, which is involved in speeding up a chemical reaction without actually getting consumed in the whole chemical process. It functions by lowering the activation energy of the reaction.

Enzyme: An enzyme is a catalyst present in the living organism, that helps in carrying out different biochemical reactions. These enzymes are the protein molecules produced by the organism itself.

Substrate: It is a molecule to which the enzyme is attached and acts on. A substrate is a reactant that binds to the enzyme and undergoes a chemical reaction.

Active site: It is a site or space in the catalyst or any enzyme where the substrate molecule can bind.