Becker's World of the Cell 9th Edition by Lewis Kleinsmith, Jeff Hardin, Gregory Paul Bertoni

Exercise 1

The Need for Enzymes. You should now be in a position to appreciate the difference between the thermodynamic feasibility of a reaction and the likelihood that it will actually proceed.
(a)Many reactions that are thermodynamically possible do not occur at an appreciable rate because of the activation energy required for the reactants to achieve the transition state. In molecular terms, what does this mean
(b)One way to meet this requirement is by an input of heat, which in some cases need only be an initial, transient input. Give an example, and explain what this accomplishes in molecular terms.
(c)An alternative solution is to lower the activation energy. What does it mean in molecular terms to say that a catalyst lowers the activation energy of a reaction
(d)Organic chemists often use inorganic catalysts such as nickel, platinum, or cations in their reactions, whereas cells use proteins called enzymes. What advantages can you see to the use of enzymes Can you think of any disadvantages
(e)Some enzymes can transfer a hydrogen atom without lowering the activation energy barrier. How is this possible