The effect of catalase on hydrogen peroxide

Conclusion

Fresh living materials have enough catalase present in them. When exposed to hydrogen peroxide bubbles of gas are produce. The gas which was formed in the first three items was oxygen as when it was exposed to a glowing wooden stick it glows brighter. In the yeast and liver test tube more bubbles were formed vigorously because when yeast and liver is added to hydrogen solution, a decomposition reaction occurs, liberating oxygen gas as shown in the reaction below. And the catalase was also in high amounts which made the reaction fast. The reaction of catalase in the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is:

2H2O2 2H2O +O2 (seen as bubbles)

The third test tube with raw potato formed less bubbles and reaction slower because there was less catalase compared to the first two items (yeast and liver). In the last two test tubes of the last two items there was no reaction and no bubbles were observed. This was due to absence of catalase in the juice and boiled potato. When the potato was boiled the catalase was denatured that’s why it was missing in the potato.

Evaluation

It was hard to measure the 2cm3 of the H2O2 into the test tube since the measuring cylinder which was given was just calibrated 5 cm3 and 10 cm3. Due to that, a method of estimation was used which might have caused some errors. To develop this experiment I like to used the measuring cylinder which has the actual number to the required measured told. .