Which term describes the substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the reaction?

A catalyst is a substance that accelerates a chemical reaction without undergoing any permanent change itself. This property allows it to be reused multiple times within the reaction process, facilitating the conversion of reactants into products more efficiently.

In many biochemical and industrial processes, catalysts lower the activation energy required for a reaction, thereby increasing the reaction rate. This is crucial in various applications, such as increasing the efficiency of chemical manufacturing or speeding up metabolic reactions in living organisms.

While enzymes, which are biological catalysts, also fit this definition, the term “catalyst” is broader and encompasses all substances that catalyze reactions, including non-biological catalysts. Reactants are the starting materials in a chemical reaction that undergo change, and inhibitors are substances that decrease the rate of reactions. Therefore, the best term that encapsulates the function of enhancing the rate of reaction without being consumed is indeed a catalyst.