What are proteins that living things use to speed up chemical reactions?amino acidsnucleic acidsenzymes

Understanding the Question

The query asks about specific proteins that facilitate or accelerate chemical reactions in living organisms.

Relevant Concepts

1. Proteins: Large biomolecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acid residues.
2. Enzymes: A specific type of protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions in cells without being consumed in the process.

Analysis

• Among the options given: amino acids, nucleic acids, and enzymes, the most relevant is enzymes.
• Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins but do not directly speed up reactions.
• Nucleic acids (like DNA and RNA) are involved in the storage and transfer of genetic information, not in speeding up chemical reactions.

Conclusion

The correct answer to the question is enzymes, as they are specialized proteins that significantly increase the rate of biochemical reactions within living organisms.