All molecules require certain amount of energy for activation (to overcome energy barrier) before they can react. This energy is called activation energy. This energy is recovered when products are formed. The essence of an enzyme is its ability to speed up (catalyze) a reaction by making or breaking specific covalent bonds (bonds in which atoms are held together by sharing of electrons). Enzymes act by somehow lowering the temperature at which a given bond is unstable i.e., they speed up a reaction by lowering the activation energy. It is the magnitude of the activation energy which determines how fast the reaction will proceed.