In this investigation I will be trying to find out what reaction enzymes, from pig's liver, has when it is put with different Concentrations and the temperatures of hydro peroxide.

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Introduction

In this investigation I will be trying to find out what reaction enzymes, from pig’s liver, has when it is put with different Concentrations and the temperatures of hydro peroxide.

Background Information:

Enzymes are biological catalysts. They speed up chemical reactions in all living things, and allow them to occur more easily. They are in plant cells and animal cells. Although they work powerfully, enzymes are just chemical molecules, made up of proteins. They are too small to be seen when they are inside cells or when they have been released from them. Each particular enzyme has a unique, 3-dimensional shape shared by all its molecules. Within this shape there is an area called the active site where the chemical reactions occur. Some enzymes help to break down large molecules. Others build up large molecules from small ones.
While many others help turn one molecule into another. The fastest enzyme known is called catalase. Catalase breaks the chemical hydrogen peroxide down to water and oxygen. Catalase is found in all cells and protects them from this dangerous waste chemical. Enzymes are sensitive and work best under specific conditions. Each type of enzyme has its own specific optimum conditions that it works best in. Enzymes work best when they have a high enough substrate concentration for the reaction they catalyse. If too little substrate is available the rate of the reaction is slowed and cannot increase any further.
 

Variables

The variables that I could change for this experiment are

  • Age of liver (shelf life)
  • Time
  • pH
  • Volume of Substrate and enzyme
  • Temperature
  • Concentration
  • Type of liver and condition
  • Age of animal 

As my input variables I will change the temperature and concentration of the enzymes and hydro peroxide. I have chosen temperature because this will allow me to demonstrate how enzymes react in different temperatures and at what temperatures they begin to denature. I have chosen concentration because this tells us what concentration of the hydro peroxide, the enzymes work best at.

My output variable will be the amount of oxygen produced by the reaction of enzymes and hydro peroxide.

Some variables would be hard for us to change like the age of the animal and age of liver because we can not chose the age of the animal because the liver is just brought from a shop.

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Prediction

I predict that as the temperature increases the amount of oxygen produced will increase. When the particles are warmer then they have more energy and move around more therefor they are more likely to collide with each other. I predict that when we test the enzymes at 60°C, the amount of oxygen produced will be low, because I know that enzymes denature at about 60°C.  When we test it at 15°C I predict that the oxygen produced will be higher that 60°C. The enzymes will probably produce more oxygen at 40°C because that is the nearest temperature to body ...

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