The name given to biological catalysts is enzymes.

Overview

Enzymes are specialized proteins that accelerate chemical reactions within living organisms, enabling vital biological processes to occur at a rate compatible with life. They act by lowering the activation energy needed for a reaction to proceed, making reactions faster and more efficient.

Characteristics of Enzymes

• Enzymes are not reactants or consumed in reactions, thus they can be reused multiple times.

• They exhibit high specificity for particular substrates or reactions, often binding to molecules at a specific active site.

• They can catalyze up to millions of reactions per second and are fundamental to biological pathways like digestion, DNA synthesis, and energy production.

Etymology and Naming

The term "enzyme" is derived from Greek roots meaning "in yeast," as enzymes were first discovered in yeast cells. Enzymes typically end with the suffix "-ase," indicating their role in catalyzing specific reactions; for example, lipase breaks down lipids.

In summary, biological catalysts are called enzymes , which are highly specialized proteins that facilitate and accelerate biochemical reactions vital for life.