Investigation Showing Factors Effecting Enzyme Activity.

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Biology Coursework

Investigation Showing Factors Effecting Enzyme Activity

The chemical hydrogen peroxide can be broken down into water and oxygen using an enzyme as a catalyst.  In this investigation, I aim to demonstrate the enzyme activity will be affected by different variables.

Planning

Enzymes are biological catalysts, which change the speed of a reaction.  By braking larger molecules into smaller molecules.

Enzymes have an active site, which has a specific shape depending of the type of enzyme it is, so it can only react with a specific substance.

In this investigation I am going to use potato as my enzyme because it has the same substances in it at the liver has.

The rate at which enzymes work, depends on the temperature.  If the temperature is too low the enzymes will become inactive, this will happen because the active sight will not be able to bond with the substance.  If the temperature is too high the enzymes will become denatured, this will happen because the active shape will change shape and will not fit the substance.  The rate at which enzymes work also depends on other factor, one being the PH level.

What factor am I going to change?

For this investigation I could either look at how the PH or the temperature affects the rate at which the enzymes work.  I have decided to look at how the temperature, affects the rates at which enzymes work.  I have done this because it will be a lot easier to investigate and I will achieve much more accurate results.  

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How am I going to measure the amount of gas given off?

To measure the rate of reaction I am going to measure the speed at which at which the gas is given off.  I can do this in three ways, the first being to count how many bubbles are given off, the second is to measure the change in mass as the gas is let off, and the third is to use a gas syringe to measure the volume of gas given off in total.  

I have decided to choose the gas syringe method, as ...

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