Homework 9/10 #18

[Alan Limones 1H]

Hi, I know that enzymes are not consumed or lost during a reaction, but from the equations we have been given, and from what we have been told, enzymes ( or catalysts ) and intermediates are never in the overall reaction. So if that is true, where do they go? Are they just to the side of the reaction?

[Giselle Covarrubias 3B]

In terms of physical location, enzymes are present in the reaction mixture. They are not "to the side" but are actively interacting with the reactants. However, because they are not changed or consumed, they do not appear in the stoichiometric equations that describe the quantities of reactants and products.

[705903057]

Enzymes and catalysts are not consumed or lost during a reaction because they facilitate the reaction without being changed themselves. They function by providing an alternative pathway with lower activation energy for the reaction to occur. They typically participate in the reaction by forming temporary intermediates or complexes, but they are regenerated back to their original form at the end of the reaction, ready to catalyze another cycle of the reaction. So, they don't disappear or go to the side of the reaction, but rather they cycle between different forms during the reaction process.