The type of molecule made from amino acids that acts as a biological catalyst is a protein, specifically called an enzyme. Enzymes are proteins composed of one or more polypeptide chains of amino acids, and their main role is to speed up biochemical reactions without being consumed in the process. They achieve this by lowering the activation energy needed for reactions, allowing reactions to occur rapidly under mild conditions compatible with life.
Key Points:
- Amino acids polymerize to form proteins (polypeptides).
- Enzymes are proteins that serve as biological catalysts.
- Enzymes accelerate chemical reactions by binding substrates at their active sites and facilitating the conversion to products.
- Enzymes are critical for virtually all metabolic processes within cells.
Thus, enzymes are the proteins made from amino acids that act as biological catalysts.
