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Enzymes are proteins made up of amino acids used to convert substrates to products. Enzymes
and their active sites are kind of like an interlocking puzzle pieces, only one enzyme fits with its
complementing active site. There are over 2000 known enzymes, and all have a specific
functions. The functions of these enzymes range from speeding up chemical reactions to
breaking down food so that it can be converted to usable energy for a cell. Since enzymes are
substrate specific there is no threat of an unknown reaction or side effect. Enzymes are catalysts.
This means that they make chemical reactions quicker than they would otherwise. In some cases
the essential reactions enabled by enzymes would not happen at all without the help of
enzymes. .Enzymes are not live organisms and do not become part of the final product they
catalyze. They will continue to perform necessary functions and then move on to the next
assignment until it is eventually dissolved by another enzyme.
In order to address the questions about the influences that affect the function of enzymes,
specifically PH, temperature and enzyme concentration we conducted lab investigating how
these factors help or deter the enzyme to break down hydrogen peroxide. The information
obtained will directly correlate with enzymes and how their cellular environment are directly
related in the process of substrate conversions. My hypothesis are based on the following three
variables;
PH Acidic and basic are two extremes that describe a chemical property chemicals. Mixing acids
and bases can cancel out or neutralize their extreme effects. A substance that is neither acidic nor
basic is neutral. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. The pH scale ranges
from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic. A pH greater than 7 is basic.
Temperature is another environmental variable that enzymes are affected by. We learned that
diffusion is The spontaneous tendency of a substance to move down its concentration gradient
from a more concentrated to a less concentrated area. During diffusion the more heat the faster
the molecules move, and the colder temperatures they are exposed to results in slowing of
movement until it ceases altogether.
Concentrate gradient The concept of osmosis and water concludes that concentrated gradient
conditions are neutralized by water infiltration. Water is a molecule that acts as a neutral party,
anytime there is a high concentration water will move to break up the gradient area.
Hypothesis 1: With the lower Ph , more acidic,
Hypothesis 2: Temperatures ranging from freezing to will result in none to slow enzyme
function. At room temperature or body temperature the enzyme will react at optimum
performance and as temperatures increase there will be no change in enzyme function process.
Hypothesis 3: As enzyme concentration lessens so will the speed at which the enzyme catalyzes.
With higher concentration enzymes will catalyze at optimum levels until it eventually levels out.
Methods:
Effects of pH on enzyme activity
1. Obtain four test tubes and label each test tube. Labels: pH 2, pH 5, pH 7 and pH 12
2. Fill each test tube with 3ml of fresh potato juice enzyme solution
3. Add 2 ml of buffer solution as follows
a. pH 2 buffer solution to the test tube labeled pH 2
b. pH 5 buffer solution to the test tube labeled pH 5
c. pH 7 buffer solution to the test tube labeled pH 7
d. pH 12 buffer solution to the test tube labeled pH 12
4. Mix gently and let sit for 5 minutes
5. At the end of 5 minutes add 1 ml of hydrogen peroxide substrate to each tube
6. Mix gently and let sit for 5 minutes
7. After 5 minutes measure the amount of foam using a millimeter ruler
8. Recorded my results in a data table.
pH 2
0
pH 5
0.5
pH 7
4.5
pH 12
3.5
Group B (ml of
1.5
1
2
0.5
foam produced)
AVERAGE
.75
.75
3.25
2
EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON POTATO JUICE ENZYME ACTIVITY(fig 2)
pH
Group A (ml of
foam produced
Ice
0
Room Temp
0.5
45 C
4.5
70 C
3.5
Group B (ml of
1.5
0.5
foam produced)
AVERAGE
.75
.75
3.25
0 ml
0
1ml
0.7
3ml
2.5
5ml
2.7
ml of foam
0
4
1.5
11.5
produced
AVERAGE
0
2.35
2
7.1
EFFECTS OF ENZYME CONCENTRATION ON POTATO JUICE ENZYME ACTIVITY
(fig 4)
Substrate Amt
ml of foam
produced
0 ml
0
1ml
5
3ml
12.5
5ml
10.9
ml of foam
produced
AVERAGE
7.5
8.75
9.2
Memorie Brown
Robert Golman
February 13, 2015
Biology 101