An active site is a specific region of a protein, such as an enzyme or a carrier protein, where the shape and amino acid sequence allow a substrate to bind. If the shape or chemical environment of this site is altered, even slightly, the substrate's ability to bind is weakened or lost entirely.

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Some features of enzyme-substrate complexes include:

- Enzyme Specificity
- Substrate
- Active Site
- Activation energy

Features of the Enzyme-Substrate Complex

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Substrate

Enzymes are known for their specificity given their ability to change structure - modifications at the active site and formation of a transition state  - to bind substrates. This leads to an induced fit between enzyme and substrate(s).

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Enzyme Specificity and the Induced Fit Model

A reaction's activation energy is the amount of energy needed to drive a chemical reaction. A certain threshold of energy must be met for reactions to happen. Catalysts like enzymes work to lower activation energy and thus increase the reaction rate.

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