What Affects The Action Of Catalase Enzyme On The Decomposition Of H2O2?

The first 200 words of this essay...

Sadie Tulley

Biology Coursework, Sept 2001

Page 1

What Affects The Action Of Catalase Enzyme On The Decomposition Of H2O2?

Planning

Catalase is a biological catalyst that breaks down Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) into Water (H2O) and Oxygen (O2). Below is the reaction that takes place: -

Hydrogen Peroxide Oxygen + Water

H2O2 O2 + 2H2O

Reactions can be speeded up through the use of a Catalyst, this is a substance which changes the rate of a reaction but is not actually used up so they can be re-used; in this case we will use Catalase. Catalase is an enzyme, which is found in living things such as yeast and liver, the enzyme is used in the cells to remove Hydrogen Peroxide which is a waste product made by all cells, H2O2 is very toxic and so breaking it down quickly is very important.

How does Catalase work?

All enzymes work in the same way; there are two main molecules in the reaction, the enzyme and the substrate. The substrate is the molecule the enzyme acts upon. The enzyme has a small section called the 'active