effects of substrate concentration on the activity of the enzyme catalase.

Investigate the effects of substrate concentration on the activity of the enzyme catalase.

To explain this, catalase is an enzyme found in potato cells, catalase breaks down the substrate Hydrogen-Peroxide into water + oxygen. Hydrogen Peroxide itself is a waste product found in potatoes and other fruit + vegetables.

When I do this I will see with different concentrations of the substrate and see how quick the enzyme catalase works on it.

The four things that affect the rate at which the substrate and enzyme would react are as follow:-

Susceptibility of temperature change.
Susceptibility to PH changes.
Enzyme concentration.
Substrate concentration.

Now I will explain each one of these in detail and how they can change the rate of reaction in many different ways.

Susceptibility of temperature: - Chemical reactions can be speeded up by heating the reactants, this makes molecules speed up and have sufficient energy for more successful collisions. If the temperature is too high the enzyme would vibrate and it would denature because the active-site would change shape.

Susceptibility of PH changes: - Enzymes can be denatured by changes in PH. This happens because the ionisation of the Amino acids changes, the Ionic bonds with stabilise the enzyme, that shape is broken so they are no longer stable. So you need the right PH for the ionic bonds to stay stable for the reaction to occur.

Enzyme concentration: - The rate of reaction increases when the collision rate increases. You can increase the successful collision rate by increasing the enzyme concentration, this gives substrate particles an easier chance to collide with particles as the surface area has been increased, because simply there are more particles to hit.

Substrate Concentration: - The rate of reaction increases when the collision rate increases. You can increase the successful collision rate by increasing the substrate concentration; this gives the enzyme particles an easier chance to collide with the substrate particles as the surface area has been increased, because simply there are more particles to hit.

The variable that I would be alternating is substrate concentration. The affect that this would have is that the more substrate particles I put in the more collisions would happen and vice-versa, because there is a higher surface area and easier to have a more successful collision rate. So a faster reaction and faster substrate being used up.

“My hypothesis is that the higher the substrate concentration the higher the collision rate with substrate enzyme particles, so the faster the substrate would be used up.”

I believe this because of the collision theory, which states that the higher the concentration, means the higher the amount of particles, if there is a higher number of particles then there is a larger chance for the reaction to occur because there is a higher chance of two particles colliding with each other and having a “successful collision”, which means a reaction occurring. Meaning a larger chance for the 0² ...

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Luke Smithen

24th of Apr 2013

This is a good report that includes a lot of detail. 1. The introduction, hypothesis and variable sections are very well written. 2. The preliminary investigation is relevant and sets a good basis for the rest of the investigation. 3. The conclusion is concise and includes data to back up the pattern. 4. There is repetition is several places that needs to be removed. 5. The evaluation contradicts itself in several places but does include good suggestions for improvement. 6. The report itself lacks structure and would benefit from subheadings. **** (4 stars)

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