The rate of a chemical reaction usually accelerates as the temperature is increased.
Enzymes are specific catalysts that also increase the rate.
They are used at elevated temperature despite the fact that under those conditions denaturation will lead to enzyme inactivity. The thermal denaturation of a globular enzyme causes an unfolding which results in loss of its activity as a catalyst. Note that the folded state of the enzyme is stabilized by hydrophobic, hydrogen and ionic bonds. Thermophilic organisms have adapted to environments with elevated temperatures, such as those found in hot springs, as opposed to mesophilic organisms, which live at temperatures ranging from approximately 15 C to 45 C. Enzymes isolated from thermophilic organisms are surprisingly similar to their counterparts in mesophilic organisms. A general theoretical comprehension of the location and type of amino acid residue changes required to produce a more thermostable protein is sorely lacking and is of great importance to biotechnology.