Which of the following is true of enzymes?

Which of the following is true of enzymes?

A. Enzymes increase the rate of chemical reaction by lowering activation energy barriers.

B. Enzyme function is increased if the 3-D structure or conformation of an enzyme is altered.

C. Enzyme function is independent of physical and chemical environmental factors such as pH and temperature.

D. Nonprotein cofactors alter the substrate specificity of enzymes.

Answer: The correct options are A and D.

It is true that enzymes can be described as biological catalysts that help in the acceleration of particular chemical reactions with the mean aim of reducing the amount that of activation energy required for a given reaction to occur. This is done by giving an extra route in the reaction which has a lower activation energy the reaction pathway is made narrower thus improving on the reaction. Some of the factors include prosthetic groups; these are extra polypeptide chains whose function is to bind directly on the enzyme active site, alter the substrate specificity of these enzymes, and equip them to induce reactions of diverse types or with different substrates.

However, option B is wrong because changing or altering the tertiary structure or conformation of an enzyme tends to decrease or inhibit the enzyme’s activities. Option C is also invalid because the enzyme operates in the presence of such factors as pH, temperature, and concentration of the substrate and the product either enhances or reduces the enzyme’s prowess.