View source for Translations:Enzyme/1/en

{{short description|Large biological molecule that acts as a catalyst}}
[[File:Glucosidase enzyme.png|thumb|400px|The enzyme [[glucosidase]] converts the sugar [[maltose]] into two [[glucose]] sugars. [[Active site]] residues in red, maltose substrate in black, and [[Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide|NAD]] [[Cofactor (biochemistry)|cofactor]] in yellow. ({{PDB|1OBB}})|alt=Ribbon diagram of glycosidase with an arrow showing the cleavage of the maltose sugar substrate into two glucose products.]]
{{Biochemistry sidebar}}
'''Enzymes''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ|n|z|aɪ|m|z}}) are [[protein]]s that act as biological [[catalyst]]s by accelerating [[chemical reactions]]. The [[molecules]] upon which enzymes may act are called [[substrate (chemistry)|substrates]], and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as [[product (chemistry)|products]]. Almost all [[metabolism|metabolic processes]] in the [[cell (biology)|cell]] need [[enzyme catalysis]] in order to occur at rates fast enough to sustain life. [[Metabolic pathway]]s depend upon enzymes to catalyze individual steps. The study of enzymes is called ''enzymology'' and the field of [[pseudoenzyme|pseudoenzyme analysis]] recognizes that during evolution, some enzymes have lost the ability to carry out biological catalysis, which is often reflected in their [[amino acid]] sequences and unusual 'pseudocatalytic' properties.