Investigating the effect temperature has on an enzyme.

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Investigating the effect temperature has on an enzyme

Introduction

The aim of this investigation is to see what effect temperature has on an enzyme. Before I start any investigations, I have a choice of 4 options to choose from. They are:

  • Temperature
  • Quantities of renin/milk
  • PH
  • Concentration of renin/milk

I have decided to choose temperature. I have chosen this because I am able to choose from a different variety of temperatures. I believe that this will enable me to have a vast majority of results to draw conclusions from.

Background Knowledge

An enzyme is a biological catalyst that is made up from complex proteins. A catalyst is a substance that will speed up the rate of a reaction without using itself up. But if an enzyme does happen to break up, then they build other molecules. An enzyme has a unique shape. This means that only a substrate with the same unique shape will fit into the enzymes active site. This would be called the lock and key theory. An active site is where the substrate fits into the enzyme and only a small area of the enzyme actually comes into contact with the substrate. Enzymes digest food inside the human body and break them down. Enzymes are required in humans for us to survive. This is because some chemical relations that take place inside of the human body require the use of enzymes.

Enzymes do not work well in certain conditions. They could easily denature in certain conditions, such as when there is a very high level of PH or if there is very high temperatures that they are working in. This is because the bonds will be broken and this will lead to the active site, where the substrate locks with enzyme, to become deformed. That is why most enzymes work best at body temperature. Once the temperature exceeds 40oC or drops below 30oC, the enzyme will denature.

Prediction

I predict that when the renin and milk mix together at a low temperature, then it will take a very long time for the milk to clot. Once the temperature increases, then I believe that the rate of reaction time will decrease. I believe that the right temperature for the renin to work at will be around about 40oC. I also believe that once the temperature exceeds about 60oC, then the renin would fail to work as the enzyme would have denatured by this time.

I also predict that if you increase the temperature by 10oC, then you will double the rate of reaction. This means that it will take half the time for the reaction to take place. This is the Arrhenius theory. I believe that the Kinetic theory will play some part in this too as there is Kinetic energy moving the particles, which are the enzymes. There will be a large number of collisions in this investigation, but only if they are successful, then there will be a reaction.  

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The particles need to collide for a reaction to take place, which is why the rate of reaction depends on how well and often the particles collide with one another. When the temperature is increased, then all of the particles will move more quickly. This means that if they are all moving faster, then there will be more collisions with one another.

The three theories/rules that will help me to understand this investigation are the Kinetic theory, the 10o rule and the Arrhenius theory. The Kinetic theory would help me as the molecules will need to collide to react, ...

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