The contorted, high-energy arrangement a molecule passes through mid-reaction is the:

1. To get the bonds into a state that allows them to break, the molecule must be somewhat contorted. 2. That arrangement sits above the energy of the reactants. 3. This contorted state is called the transition state, and it is a high-energy, unstable state. 4. Reactant molecules do not last long in it and very quickly proceed to the next steps. _Source: OpenStax Biology for AP(R) Courses (CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 'Metabolism', sections 6.1-6.5_