Soil enzymes increase the reaction rate at which plant residues decompose and release plant available nutrients.
The substance acted upon by a soil enzyme is called the substrate. For example, glucosidase (soil enzyme) cleaves
glucose from glucoside (substrate), a compound common in plants. Enzymes are specific to a substrate and have
active sites that bind with the substrate to form a temporary complex. The enzymatic reaction releases a
product, which can be a nutrient contained in the substrate.