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Lab Report Enzyme Catalase

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In our lab, we tested how enzymes and substrates work and react together. An enzyme is a protein that acts as an organic catalyst and lowers the activation energy needed to start a chemical reaction. Each enzyme has only one specific job and is reusable. Enzyme action begins when the substrate fits into the active site of an enzyme, and from there the enzyme can further break down the substrate by putting stress on it, causing the bond to break. In our lab, we used catalase that was found in liver cells as our enzymes. Hydrogen was used as the substrate that the catalase reacted with. When the hydrogen peroxide was poured onto the liver, it caused bubbles to rise up. The rate of the reaction was recorded by determines on a scale of 0-5. Zero equaled no reaction, one equaled a slow reaction, and the higher …show more content…

During the lab various factors were changed in order to compare how different environmental changes affected the rate of the reaction. A first test was conducted with liver and hydrogen peroxide without an induced temperature change scored a 5. Next, the catalase (liver) was heated to a high temperature and then hydrogen peroxide was added. The reaction was not as fast, and produced a score of 3. A similar test was done using another piece of liver but was placed in an ice bath and then hydrogen peroxide was added. This produced an even slower reaction rate of 2. These three tests demonstrate how temperature greatly influences the rate of enzyme action. When enzymes reach above boiling point, they are denatured and no longer function. Optimal temperatures for enzymes to function is 35-40 degrees Celsius. When the temperature is lower than optimal, slow reactions occur. Further experiments were conducted to show how pH levels affected enzyme action. Two mL of hydrogen peroxide was added to three test tubes. Then, HCl was added to test tube 1, NaOH was

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