Enzymology
Enzymology is the specialized study of enzymes, the protein or RNA catalysts that facilitate and dramatically accelerate the vast number of chemical reactions essential for life. As a sub-discipline of biochemistry and biophysics, it investigates the structure, function, and dynamics of these remarkable molecules, exploring the mechanisms of their catalytic action, their specificity for substrates, and their kinetics—the rates at which they perform. This field is fundamental to understanding metabolic pathways, cellular signaling, and disease, as it also examines how enzyme activity is intricately regulated within a biological system to maintain homeostasis.