If the optimum conditions for an enzyme are altered, the enzyme may denature, or change its shape, and deactivate. As a result, the enzyme would no longer to be able to catalyze the reaction, and the reaction rate would significantly decrease ("Worthington Biochemical Corporation").
Catalase is found in all organisms that use oxygen for their metabolism. The enzyme is found in high concentrations in a organelle in cells called the peroxisome. One of the functions of catalase is to prevent a toxic accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in cells. It catalyses the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to water and molecular oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide is a by product of metabolic processes. It is usually produced in peroxisomes when they partially oxidize fatty acids. When catalase is absent, the reaction it catalyzes is spontaneous, but at very low rates that are not able to reduce the harmful effects of hydrogen peroxide (Crook 2003).
In this lab, the two factors being tested are temperature and substrate concentration. The main purpose of this lab is to investigate the relationship between enzyme activity and temperature, as well as enzyme activity and substrate concentration. The lab is investigating the effect of temperature on enzyme activity and the effect of substrate concentration on enzyme activity. For this experiment, the hypothesis that was produced was; if the temperature of the substrate H2O2 is between 35-50℃, then the enzyme activity will perform for the least amount of time because this is the optimum temperature of the catalase enzyme. If the substrate concentration is around 20%, then the enzyme activity will perform for the least amount of time because higher concentrations allow more effective molecule collision. .
Materials and Methods .
In this experiment, the independent variables are, temperature, substrate concentration and time. The dependent variables for the experiment are, the enzyme activity, the type of substrate being used (in this lab it was H2O2 ) and the type of catalase.
