Enzymes main functions in the body is to assist with chemical breakdowns of amino acids into their respective units and can be moved to their relevant cells to re-develop into corresponding protein chains. They are catalysts that help create reactions to modify substrates into products and depends on the type of enzyme due to ‘enzymes are substrate specific’, its controlled environment as well as the temperature, PH Level and the quantity of the substrate available are all vital aspects for forming the end product. The reaction is written:
2H_2O_2 → 2H_2O + O_2
Hydrogen Peroxide → water + oxygen peroxide
My Prediction
Temperature and pH affect the way enzymes work, because when they change,
they make the active site form shape and the substrate may not fit so well.
Hence if you heat enzymes above 40C, they start to waver and work less efficient, but if you heat them greater than 70^0C, they form shape so much they can never work again and become denatured, i.e. destroyed.
Therefore, from my knowledge above I assume and predict that binding the substrate Hydrogen Peroxide with Catalase , which is a heme containing redox enzyme and is found in high concentrations in a compartment in cells known as the peroxisome, will break down the substrate to produce two end products being ‘water’ and ‘ oxygen’. As the quantity of the enzyme is irrelevant then the oxygen end product can be measured by marking in ‘ml’ to indicate the variations in enzyme activity in various temperature bandwidths. Hence, I predict that at higher temperatures enzyme activity will be decreased eventually to none as opposed to lower temperature minimal enzyme activity and at ideal body temperature enzyme activity will be very active.
Method Used
*There experiment was carried out using:
Boiling Tube (1)
Boiling Tube (2)
5ml of Hydrogen Peroxide (6% soloution)
5ml of of Catalase (2% Concentration in Yeast Soloution)
Bee Hive Shelf
Water Troff
Rubber Tubing
Glass Bowl
Bung
Two boiling tubes, of which Tube (1) was filled with water and kept within the 3/4th full bowl of water. This test tube was in turn placed upside down submerged onto the bung to prevent air seeping out. Then the Rubber Tubing, passing through the bung at the bottom of the bowl, is submerged also of which Tube (1) is placed over one end of the tubing whilst both are submerged taking precaution not to release air. Thence, the other end of the Rubbing Tubing is connected to a second bung outside the bowl, which is the cap of boiling tube (2). This second bung (cap) is placed on Test Tube (2) after the Yeast and Hydrogen Peroxide Mixed Solutions are present in Tube (2). This Concentration of the solution remains the same throughout the tests and analysis carried out; therefore we now have a substrate and enzyme in Tube (2).
Hence the chemical reaction is taking place, as it does the water in the Test Tube begins to bubble, this are bubbles of the oxygen surfacing towards the top of the tube. As soon as this bubbling of oxygen bubbles has stopped we may then assess the amount of oxygen given off and measure this volume metrically. Although, marking will have to be used on the tube (1) to calculate the remaining water level by taking out the tube from the bowl and filling it with water till it has filled up to the marked point then to pour this in a measuring tube with millilitre for data reading of its results.
Results
The Short table below shows the results
My conclusion
Although the data collected is not completely accurate due to the experiment not being completely fool proof as it was not in a secure environment, but from the graph and the table we can see that my hypothesis and/or theory was correct that at low temperatures Enzyme activity is minimal, at high temperatures above 70+ it becomes denatured due to the fact that the enzymes are broken down too quickly before they can recreate and hence destroyed; and at body temperature of 37 degrees, the ideal temperature for the enzyme we can see maximum efficiency. Therefore, when Temperature <37 enzyme activity is minimal or very little but when temperature > that of 48, the enzyme activity creeps towards denature and when temperature = 36-38, we can see that it is ideal temperature for the enzyme to flourish to produce higher amounts of oxygen and breaking down of the substrate is more efficient.
