Enzymes – The Helpers of Life! (Simple Notes for Students) with easy hand drawn diagrams 📌 What Are Enzymes? Enzymes are special proteins. They speed up chemical reactions in our body. Without enzymes, reactions would happen very slowly. They are also called biological catalysts . 📌 Properties of Enzymes Work fast – Enzymes make reactions happen quickly. Not used up – They don’t get used in the reaction. Specific – One enzyme works on one type of reaction. Work best at certain temperature and pH . Made by living cells (especially in the pancreas, stomach, liver, etc.) 📌 How Enzymes Work (Mechanism) Enzyme has a special shape called an active site . A molecule (called substrate ) fits into the active site. This forms an enzyme-substrate complex . The enzyme helps change the substrate into a product. After the reaction, the enzyme stays the same and is ready to work again. 📌 Types of Enzyme Models Lock and Key ...