What is the difference between an Enzyme and Hormone

Enzymes and hormones are biological substances found in all living organisms, like plants and animals.

They are secreted by specific glands or cells, in the body. 

An enzyme acts as a catalyst for a biochemical reaction, while a hormone acts as a cell signaling agent.

Thus, their functions and roles are quite different in the body, as described below.

Enzyme vs Hormone Differences

Character	Enzymes	Hormones
Role in body	They act as biocatalysts to speed up reactions	They act as chemical messengers reguating body physiology.
Chemistry	Chemically, they are proteins in nature	Chemically they are either proteins, amino-acids, steroids, etc.
Cofactors (supplements)	Enzymes require cofactors like vitamins or inorganic elements like Cu, Fe, Mg, for effective function	Hormones are independent of other elements for function.
Size	Relatively large in size	Small in size.
Stability	They are less stable at high temperatures or pH.	They are mostly stable and less affected compartively to temperature and pH.
Reuse	Enzymes are mostly reused.	Hormones undergo degradation.
Regulation	They function under strict conditions of temperature and pH in the body.	They are not limited by temperature or pH but controlled by the brain or external factors.
Formation and action	They are formed and also act at the site of action	They are formed and act at a distant site
Contribution to life	They have limited but essential functions	They have diverse functions to control body growth, reproduction and physiology.
Examples	Hydrolases, oxidases, isomerase, etc. in both plants and animals	Oxytocin, testosterone, and cortisol in animals. Abscisic acid, cytokines, and gibberellins in plants.

Also, their formation and secretion vary in both plants and animals.

Enzymes are bio-catalysts that help in speeding up biochemical reactions.

Hormones are substances that act as messengers that communicate between cells and organs.

Before going further, read what are hormones and also enzymes.

So, the difference between the two is common in animals and plants.

But there are also differences in animals. Before you read further, read the hormones of plants and animals.

Character	Enzymes	Hormones
Formation	In animals, enzymes are synthesized and secreted by exocrine glands	While the hormones are synthesized and secreted by endocrine glands
Release	They are released near the site of action.	They act at the distant part of the gland and hence, are carried by the blood to distant organs.
Regulation of secretion	Enzymes are released when the substrate is present.	Hormones are released based on positive and negative feedback mechanisms as a part of the body’s homeostasis.
Function	Their function is to help convert a substrate into a product.	Their function is to pass a signal which can stimulate or inhibit the physiological process.
Destruction	Enzymes are mostly denatured due to changes in pH or temperature	Enzymes are at work after getting messages from hormones
Diseases	Most enzyme deficiency can cause diseases. The diseases are less severe comparatively.	Hormonal diseases can be due to both aspects. That is, a decrease in secretion or an increase in secretion leads to diseases. For example, hypo and hyperthyroidism. These hormonal diseases are quite severe.
Interdependency	Enzymes are in work after getting messages from hormones	They convey messages and get destroyed due to the presence of enzymes.
Variation with age	They are the same and do not change drastically with age.	They tend to change with age. As the age grows, some hormones start to appear, and at old age, some hormones start to disappear, like in menopause.

Thus, the functions and features of enzymes and hormones differ from each other.

But both of them are essential to the body and can cause serious disorders if their levels are imbalanced.