Enzymes:
The sensitivity of cellular constituents to environmental extremes places another constraint on the reactions of metabolism. The rate at which cellular reactions proceed is a very important factor in maintenance of the living state.
However, the common ways chemists accelerate reactions are not available to cells; the temperature cannot be raised, acid or base cannot be added, the pressure cannot be elevated, and concentrations cannot be dramatically increased. Instead, biomolecular catalysts mediate cellular reactions. These catalysts, called enzymes, accelerate the reaction rates many orders of magnitude and, by selecting the substances undergoing reaction, determine the specific reaction taking place. Virtually every metabolic reaction is served by an enzyme whose sole biological purpose is to catalyze its specific reaction.
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