A reaction profile includes the activation energy, which is the minimum energy needed by particles when they collide for a reaction to occur. The activation energy is shown as a 'hump' in the line ...

Activation energy is the minimum energy needed for ‘successful collisions’ where atoms within the reactants rearrange to form products. It can be represented on an energy level diagram.

Enzymes lower the activation energy necessary to transform a reactant into a product. On the left is a reaction that is not catalyzed by an enzyme (red), and on the right is one that is (green).

As effective biological catalysts, enzymes work by lowering a reaction’s activation energy barrier, thereby increasing the rate of the reaction. They also improve the specificity of the reactions.

Enzymes are biological catalysts that lower the activation energy of chemical reactions, allowing them to proceed at a faster rate. This illustration depicts the process of enzyme catalysis. The ...