Chemical Reactivity and Molecular Interactions

Abstract

Every step of metabolism is in essence a chemical reaction. The vast majority of these reactions in an organism are catalyzed. Enzymes act as catalysts to facilitate the bond forming and/or breaking steps of these chemical transformations. Enzyme catalyzed or not, chemical reactions proceed mainly through the formation and cleavage of chemical bonds. In some cases, the catalyst itself participates covalently in the overall chemical Scheme. A reaction is therefore best understood through an appreciation of chemical reactivity and how molecules interact with each other. The nature of chemical bonds and associated molecular interactions is reviewed in this chapter. A thorough understanding of these basic chemical mechanisms is essential to appreciate how enzymes facilitate chemical reactions.