What are enzymes and what is their primary function?

Enzymes are specialized proteins that play a vital role in biological processes by acting as catalysts. Their primary function is to accelerate chemical reactions within living organisms. By lowering the activation energy required for reactions to occur, enzymes enable metabolic processes to happen at rates necessary for life.

This catalytic activity is essential for many functions in cells, including digestion, energy production, and the synthesis of molecules needed for growth and repair. Enzymes are highly specific in terms of the substrates they act upon, meaning each enzyme typically catalyzes only one type of reaction or works on a particular substrate. This specificity is largely due to the unique three-dimensional shape of each enzyme, which is determined by its amino acid sequence.

The other options do not accurately define enzymes. They do not serve primarily as structural proteins, nor do they store genetic information or directly promote cell division. Instead, enzymes facilitate the biochemical reactions that are critical for the processes involved in these functions.