Carbonic anhydrase speeds up the transfer of carbon dioxide from cells to the blood. There are over 2000 known enzymes, each of which is involved with one specific chemical reaction. Enzymes are substrate specific. Difference between a catalyzed and uncatalyzed reaction. Note that the catalyzed reaction occurs at a lower activation energy than the uncatalyzed reaction.
Enzymes are proteins.
The functioning of the enzyme is determined by the shape of the protein. It recognizes, confines and orients the substrate in a particular direction. Fit of the enzyme and substrate at the active site. Image from the Internet. The induced fit hypothesis suggests that the binding of the substrate to the enzyme alters the structure of the enzyme, placing some strain on the substrate and further facilitating the reaction.