An enzyme has an active site at which it binds to the substrates involved in the biochemical reaction. This results in the formation of an enzyme-substrate complex. The formation of such an intermediate complex allows the reaction to proceed via an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy. Once this lower energy pathway is initiated, the enzyme-substrate complex dissociates and product is produced. This means that less energy, such as a lower temperature, is required for the biochemical reaction to proceed and it can occur at a faster rate. The enzyme itself is neither consumed nor produced during the reaction, and therefore one enzyme molecule can catalyze many reactions.