Enzymes are usually proteins that act as catalysts and speed up biochemical reactions without being consumed. They have optimal temperatures and pH levels for activity. The Michaelis-Menten equation describes how reaction velocity varies with substrate concentration. Competitive inhibitors bind the enzyme's active site, increasing Km; noncompetitive inhibitors bind elsewhere, decreasing Vmax. Enzymes are important clinically as markers of tissue damage - creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase indicate heart attacks, while alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase detect liver disease. Troponin is a very specific marker for myocardial infarction.