Enzyme Lab

Procedure from Trial 5

1. First, put 1 mL of H2O2 and a piece of liver about the size of pea into a test tube
and rate the reaction
2. Once the reaction is complete and recorded, separate the used liver and liquid into
2 different test tubes
3. Then, add 1mL of fresh H2O2 into used liver test tube (rate the reaction)
4. Add fresh liver into the used liquid test tube (rate the reaction)
Data table
Reactants with H2O2
1. Glass beads
2. Manganese dioxide
(MnO2)

Rate of Reaction
No reaction
Fast bubbling

3. Potato
4. Liver

Slower reaction
Very fast reaction

5a. Used H2O2 and Water

with new liver

No reaction

5b. Used Liver with new

H2O2
6. Ground liver
7. Heated liver
8. Cooled liver

Fast reaction

9. Liver in HCl

No reaction

Slower reaction
No reaction
Fast reaction

Other Observations
3 beads were used
Little white bubbles, more
bubbles in smaller amounts,
substrate is not fully used up
Less bubbling, more fizzing
Large rising bubbles up test
tube
No reaction because
everything already
catalyzed
Bubbles were formed and
rising
Smaller bubbles, still rising
Enzyme is denatured
A lot of small white
bubbles, not as fast as
normal liver
HCl has a pH of 2,
therefore the acidity
denatures the enzyme

Dicussion
1. The first trial had no reaction because the glass beads used did not function as
enzymes. Therefore, the substrate, H2O2, could not catalyze; therefore there was
no reaction. This is why there were no bubbles, fizzing or any type of reaction.
2. The second trial had a reaction because the manganese dioxide (MnO2) was a
catalyst (enzyme) for the H2O2 and this is why there was a fast reaction with
bubbles. This process is called decomposition, which is a metabolic process that
can only be done with substrates and enzymes. Without the MnO2, there would be
no reaction.

3. The third trial had a reaction, but not as big as manganese dioxide. This is because
the ability of the catalase enzymes to decompose the hydrogen peroxide was
weaker. However, the potato still worked as an enzyme to decompose to hydrogen
peroxide.
4. The fourth trial had the fastest reaction. The liver, which is an enzyme, catalyzed
and decomposed the H2O2 extremely quickly which is why there were large rising
bubbles in the test tube.
5. Trial 5 had a few different parts because it was using the old liquid and old liver
from the previous trial (#4) and separating them into two different test tubes for
two trials. For 5a, the used H2O2 and water with new liver was tested for a
reaction. In this, there was no reaction because the substrate was already catalyzed.
This proved that the H2O2 was not the enzyme because enzymes cannot be used
up. To conclude part 5a, there was no reaction because the liquid was already
completely catalyzed in trial 4. Then to make sure the liver was the enzyme in 5b,
the used liver was tested with new H2O2. This created a reaction because the
enzyme, liver, cannot be used up so no matter how much substrate (H2O2) is
added, there will be a reaction.
6. Trial 6 had the same reaction time as the normal liver because grounded liver was
used. This meant that it enzyme in the liver catalyzed the H2O2 just as fast. This is
why bubbles were formed like in Trial 4.
7. The seventh trial had no reaction because the enzyme (liver) was denatured by the
increase in temperature. The heated livers tertiary structure unraveled first,
therefore it cannot perform catalytic functions.
8. The eighth trial with cooled liver and H2O2 had a somewhat fast reaction with a
lot of small white bubbles; however, was not as fast as normal, room temperature
liver. This is because the cells inside the liver are not cooled down enough to
denature the enzyme. Since they are not cool enough, there is a reaction between
the liver and the H2O2 because the liver catalysis the H2O2 (substrate).
9. In the ninth trial there was no reaction because the enzyme (the liver) became
denatured due to the acidity of the HCl. The HCl has a pH of 2, which is highly
acidic. Therefore the liver becomes denatured and cannot perform enzymatic
functions so there is no reaction.