Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering their activation energy. They are typically proteins but can also be RNA. Enzymes work by specifically binding substrates and facilitating their conversion to products. They are affected by factors like temperature, pH, substrate/product concentration, and can be inhibited in a reversible or irreversible manner. The three main types of inhibition are competitive, non-competitive, and uncompetitive inhibition which act by binding to the active site or altering the enzyme's structure.