Cyclooxygenase catalysis by prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS) is thought to involve a multistep mechanism with several radical intermediates. The proposed mechanism begins with transfer of the C13 pro-(S) hydrogen atom from the substrate arachidonic acid (AA) to the Tyr385 radical in PGHS, followed by oxygen insertion and several bond rearrangements. The importance of the hydrogen-transfer step to controlling the overall kinetics of cyclooxygenase catalysis has not been directly examined. We quantified the non-competitive primary kinetic isotope effect (KIE) for both PGHS-1 and -2 using unlabeled AA and several deuterated AAs, including 13-pro-(S) d-AA, 13,13-d(2)-AA and 10, 10, 13,13-d(4)-AA. The primary KIE for steady-state cyclooxygenase catalysis, (D)k(cat), ranged between 1.8 and 2.3 in oxygen electrode measurements. The intrinsic KIE of AA radical formation by C13 pro-(S) hydrogen abstraction in PGHS-1 was estimated to be 1.9-2.3 using rapid freeze-quench EPR kinetic analysis of anaerobic reactions and computer modeling to a mechanism that includes slow formation of a pentadienyl AA radical and rapid equilibration of the AA radical with a tyrosyl radical, NS1c. The observation of similar values for steady-state and pre-steady state KIEs suggests that hydrogen abstraction is a rate-limiting step in cyclooxygenase catalysis. The large difference of the observed KIE from that of lipoxygenase indicates very different mechanism of hydrogen transfer.