What is a primary function of enzymes?

Enzymes are biological catalysts that primarily function to increase the rate of chemical reactions in the body without being consumed in the process. One of their essential roles is to provide functional groups that facilitate these reactions. They achieve this by lowering the activation energy required for a reaction to occur, allowing substrates to interact more effectively and form products.

Enzymes have specific active sites where substrates bind, and the nature of these sites often incorporates functional groups that can aid in the transformation of the substrate molecules. This catalytic action is central to processes such as digestion, metabolism, and DNA replication, highlighting the importance of enzymes in biological systems.

The other options pertain to functions that are not directly related to enzymes. Transporting oxygen in the blood is primarily the role of hemoglobin, a protein, while storing genetic information is the function of DNA. Synthesis of proteins involves ribosomes and various molecular components, including mRNA, but the catalytic actions that enzymes provide are what allow these synthesis processes to happen efficiently and effectively.