Final Applied Lab Project: The effect of low pH on Enzyme Activity
Thomas Long
Biology 6380: Introduction to Biology (2155)
Summer Semester Final Applied Lab Project
Introduction
What are Enzymes?
Enzymes are proteins that initiate change. The enzymes found in the human body are naturally occurring. They catalyze, or accelerate, all normal biochemical reactions in the body. Enzymes are responsible for all metabolic functions and many are vital for life itself. These proteins are highly specific regarding what they do and under what conditions they do it (2015, Enzyme Institution). Similar to a glove and a hand, the enzyme and substrate must fit correctly in order to work.
The reactions within cells are catalyzed by a specific type of proteins known as enzymes. Enzymes catalyze the rate of a specific reaction by recuing the amount of energy needed to get the chemical reaction started or the activation of energy. The activity of these enzymes is dependent upon several different things including the shape of the molecule, and specifically the concentration of the enzyme and substrate (hydrogen peroxide). This laboratory exercise will be conducted under a controlled environment to determine the influence of pH on the enzyme catalase.
Pre Lab Questions
1. What do you expect to happen to the chicken when you add to the hydrogen peroxide?
I expect the hydrogen peroxide to react as an acid to the chicken and bubble or dissolve over time.
2. What is hydrogen
Peroxidase is a turnip enzyme; it is used in the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide to lower activation energy, speeding up the reaction. The activity of peroxidase is highly dependent on its environment and most importantly the pH level. Peroxidase has been the focus of many recent studies and is believed to possibly reduce swelling among other things. We conducted an experiment testing the effect different levels of pH had on the reaction rate of peroxidase. In the experiment we created different solutions all containing hydrogen peroxide, peroxidase, and guaiacol. However each cuvette contained a different pH level, 2,5,7,or
Peroxidase is an enzyme found in potatoes that catalyzes the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, into O2 gas and water. We examined the different pH environments that can affect the enzyme activity during the breakdown of H2O2. In order to do this, we added different levels of pH, low, medium, and high, into different test tubes with the enzyme and H2O2, and we then inverted the tube. The amount of O2 gas produced was then measured and recorded. The result was that the higher pH produced more gas, followed by medium pH, then low pH. The enzymes were more active in the pH of about 10. It increased
This experiment looked at how substrate concentration can affect enzyme activity. In this case the substrate was hydrogen peroxide and the enzyme was catalase. Pieces of meat providing the catalase were added to increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in order to measure the effect of hydrogen peroxide concentrations on the enzyme’s activity. The variable measured was oxygen produced, as water would be too difficult to measure with basic equipment.
Abstract: Enzymes, catalytic proteins that at as catalysis which makes the process of chemical reactions more easily. There are two main factors that actually affects enzymes and their functions which are temperature and pH. Throughout this experiment, the study how pH and peroxidase affects each other and the enzyme was made. The recordings of how the enzymes responded when it was exposed to four different pH levels to come up with an optimum pH which was predicted in the hypothesis and the IRV at the end.
The topic of this lab is on biochemistry.This experiment was conducted to show how cells prevent the build of hydrogen peroxide in tissues. My group consisted of Lekha, Ruth, and Jason. There were used two different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide through this experiment , 1.5% and 3%. By testing two different types it is easier to understand how the H2O2 and catalase react with one another. To do this both the yeast, which was our catalase, and H2O2 were mixed together in a beaker. Each concentration was tested out twice for more accurate results . 1.5% concentrated H2O2 had an average reaction rate of 10.5 seconds while 3% concentrated H2O2 had an average reaction rate of 7.5 seconds. From this experiment we learned that by increasing the concentration of H2O2 and chemically combining it with a catalase it will speed up the reaction. Enzymes speed up chemical reactions . The independent variable in this experiment was the concentration of the H2O2. Some key vocabulary words are Catalase, enzyme, hydrogen peroxide ( H2O2), and concentration.
Enzymes are a key aspect in our everyday life and are a key to sustaining life. They are biological catalysts that help speed up the rate of reactions. They do this by lowering the activation energy of chemical reactions (Biology Department, 2011).
Hydrogen peroxide is an irritant and is corrosive (both eyes and skin) - remember to wear safety goggles
Enzymes are high molecular weight molecules and are proteins in nature. Enzymes work as catalysts in biochemical reactions in living organisms. Enzyme Catecholase is found on in plants, animals as well as fungi and is responsible for the darkening of different fruits. In most cases enzymatic activities are influenced by a number of factors, among them is temperature, PH, enzyme concentration as well as substrate concentration (Silverthorn, 2004). In this experiment enzyme catecholase was used to investigate the effects of PH and enzyme concentration on it rate of reaction. A pH buffer was used to control the PH, potato juice was used as the substrate and water was used as a solvent.
The objective of the lab was to examine the effects of environmental variables on the functions of an enzyme. To the point, an experiment was conducted to test the effect of pH on the function of the enzyme Amylase.
Enzymes, proteins that act as catalysts, are the most important type of protein[1]. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions and can go without being used up or changed [3] Without enzymes, the biochemical reactions that take place will react too slowly to keep up with the metabolic needs and the life functions of organisms. Catecholase is a reaction between oxygen and catechol [2]. In the presence of oxygen, the removal of two hydrogen atoms oxidizes the compound catechol, as a result of the formation of water [2]. Oxygen is reduced by the addition of two hydrogen atoms, which also forms water, after catechol is
An Enzyme is a protein, which is capable of starting a chemical reaction, which involves the formation or breakage of chemical bonds. A substrate is the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment. In this case it is hydrogen peroxide. This lab report will be explaining the experiment held to understand the effects of the changes in the amount of substrate on the enzyme’s reaction.
Sulfuric acid - was used to stop the reaction with catalase and hydrogen peroxide. It denatured the enzyme (catalase) and halted the reaction so the amount of hydrogen peroxide decomposed could be measured.
The purpose of this lab report is to investigate the effect of substrate concentration on enzyme activity as tested with the enzyme catalase and the substrate hydrogen peroxide at several concentrations to produce oxygen. It was assumed that an increase in hydrogen peroxide concentration would decrease the amount of time the paper circle with the enzyme catalase present on it, sowing an increase in enzyme activity. Therefore it can be hypothesised that there would be an effect on catalase activity from the increase in hydrogen peroxide concentration measured in time for the paper circle to ride to the top of the solution.
The research and observations of this lab primarily focused on the enzyme activity of the enzyme Peroxidase. Peroxidase is a large protein and is composed of more than three hundred amino acids. The enzyme was selected as it is easy to experiment with and effectively showcases the effects of varying independent variables, such as pH and temperature. Peroxidase catalyzes the decomposition reaction of the chemical Hydrogen Peroxide ( H2 O2 ) into water and an electron donating molecule, which stands for R in the written chemical equation. ( The equation is displayed below:
The Effect of pH on the Activity of the Enzyme Amylase Aim :- To find the effect of pH on the activity of the enzyme amylase. An enzyme is a type of protein found in all living cells. Enzymes act as biological catalysts, breaking down substrates without needing a high temperature, allowing all the chemical reactions of metabolism to take place, regulating the speed at which they progress, lowering the activation energy and providing a means of controlling individual biochemical pathways.