Which of these properties is true regarding organic enzymes?

Organic enzymes are biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions in living organisms. The characteristic of being substrate specific means that each enzyme has a specific substrate—the molecule it acts upon—for which it is designed to facilitate a particular reaction. This specificity arises from the unique shape of the enzyme which fits only specific substrate molecules, akin to a lock and key mechanism.

Understanding this specificity is crucial, especially within the scope of funeral service education, where enzymes are involved in the decomposition of organic materials. For instance, in embalming, knowing how specific enzymes work allows professionals to predict how embalming fluids will interact with tissues.

In contrast, the other properties outlined can be misleading. Enzymes are indeed temperature sensitive, with each enzyme having an optimal temperature range for activity. They are also pH dependent, meaning that the enzyme's activity can greatly vary with changes in pH levels, affecting their effectiveness. Additionally, enzymes are not universal in function; each one is tailored to perform different biochemical reactions, further emphasizing their substrate specificity.