Factors effecting enzyme activity
Biology Coursework Factors effecting enzyme activity Aim: To investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of catalase activity. Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts, which are made in the cells. A catalyst is a chemical substance that speeds up a reaction but does not get used up in the process. Enzymes can be used over and over. There are two types of enzyme reactivity, these are called anabolic and catabolic reactions. An anabolic reaction is where large molecules are built up from smaller molecule. A catabolic reaction is where reactions split large molecules into smaller ones. Enzymes work by a method called the lock and key method: Basically it works by the enzyme meeting the substrate and they both fit together well to make an enzyme-substrate complex. This works well because enzymes have a definite three dimensional shapes which is complementary to the shape of the substrate. In the enzyme-substrate complex, the substrate attaches to an area on the enzymes known as the active site. The enzyme is then free to react again with any available substrate. Catalase can be found, not just in humans but in potatoes, apples and the liver. During my preliminary work, I will be investigating which of these gives off the most oxygen. The one which gives off the most oxygen will be the catalase that I use during my experiments. This way it will give me the best
Features of Lungs & Tissues
I am going to compare different tissues with similarities, including what cells are in the tissues and where they are located and what organelles are within the cells, also to state their functions including explaining how each tissue is able to carry out their role. Firstly I will compare (Alveolus of lung/Bronchus of lung), secondly (Stomach/Urinary bladder). Alveolus of lung Bronchus of lung What cells are in the tissues? There are three types of cells within the tissue (Type I, Type II and Macrophages). * Type I (Squamous Alveolar) cells that form the structure of an alveolar wall * Type II (Great Alveolar) cells that secrete pulmonary surfactant to lower the surface tension of water and allow the membrane to separate, thereby increasing the capability to exchange gases. Surfactant is continuously released by exocytosis. It forms an underlying aqueous protein-containing hypophase and an overlying phospholipid film composed primarily of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine. * Macrophages that destroy foreign material, such as bacteria. Where they are located? Type II cell is located in the alveolar epithelium. Macrophage cell is found in the pulmonary alveolus, near the pneumocytes, but separated from the wall and type I cell is located beneath the plasmalemma . Main organelles within the cell? Organelles found within the cells are as follows: Nucleus,
Determination of Vitamin C in food
.2 Determination of Vitamin C in food Vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient in humans. This is because we cannot synthesis the vitamin from glucose in the liver. It is thought that the absence of an enzyme l-gulonolactone oxidase from liver cells1 prevents humans from converting glucose into ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid functions as an anti-oxidant in living organisms protecting the body against the effect of oxidative stress. Ascorbic acid is also important biologically as it is used as a cofactor in enzymatic reactions (no less than 8 reactions have been identified). These include the synthesis of collagen, a deficiency of which leads to the most notable disease of vitamin c loss, scurvy. Ascorbic acid forms the part of many important physiological functions. These include the syntheses of collagen, neurotransmitters, tyrosine carnitine and metabolism of microsome2. But most importantly it is known for its antioxidant activity. When free radicals are present in cells as high levels they are thought to have an effect on cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and chronic inflammatory diseases3. It is thought that ascorbic acid reacts with these free radicals preventing them from causing damage to cells. How to measure the amount of Vitamin C in food One way to measure the amount of vitamin C in our food is to use what is called a redox
An Investigation into the Water Potential Of Root Vegetables.
An Investigation into the Water Potential Of Root Vegetables. The aim of this investigation is to find the water potential of two root vegetables and to evaluate any differences that are found. Root vegetables take in the water they need through a process known as osmosis. Water moves from an area of high water potential to an area of low water potential through a partially permeable membrane. The water potential of root vegetables depends on the concentration of solutes within their cells. Starch is not soluble so the starch content of the vegetables will not affect the water potential. Sucrose however is soluble. In the investigation I will find the isotonic solution for each vegetable based on the principle that when the vegetable is in a hypertonic solution it will lose water (and become plasmolysed) and therefore lose mass and that when the vegetable is in a hypotonic solution it will gain water (and become turgid) and gain mass. By calculating the percentage change in each vegetable piece I will be able to find the concentration of sucrose solution at which the vegetable will gain no mass. Once the isotonic solution is found for each vegetable, its water potential can be found by using a reference graph, which shows the water potential for different concentrations of sucrose. The two vegetables I will use will be a potato and a swede. Swedes are considered a sweet
Effect of enzyme concentration on rate of reaction
Title : Effect of enzyme concentration on rate of reaction Objective : To investigate the effect of enzyme concentration on rate of reaction Introduction : Enzyme A catalyst is a substance which speeds up the rate of reaction without changing the product and is left unchanged at the end of the reaction1. An enzyme is a biological catalyst that catalyses metabolic reactions in your body such as digestion and respiration. At any time, many reactions are occurring simultaneously in our bodies. There are two types of reaction that is the anabolic reaction and the catabolic reaction. An anabolic reaction is a reaction that results in the formation of a substance from two or more substrate molecules while a catabolic reaction is a reaction that involves the breakdown of a substance into two or more product molecules. A combination of biochemical reactions like these are known as metabolism.. Enzyme action can be intracellular that is within cells or extracellular that is outside cells. Extracellular enzymes such as digestive enzymes are effective in the digestive tract while intracellular enzymes are found in the cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts in cells.2 Enzymes are complex proteins which have are made of several polypeptide chains joined together. Enzymes have a tertiary or quaternary structure which is held together by bonds such as hydrogen bonds,
Biology Coursework - Osmosis - To Investigate concentration of sucrose solution is isotonic to potato cell sap.
Biology Coursework - Osmosis Planning Aim: To investigate what concentration of sucrose solution is isotonic to potato cell sap. Apparatus: 0M sucrose (aq) (distilled water) 2M sucrose (aq) Potato Chip cutter Knife Boiling tubes Measuring cylinder (25cm3) Vernier callipers (to nearest 0.1mm) Balance (to nearest 0.01gram) Safety: I will ensure safety around the lab by: wearing safety goggles, laying paper towels, removing baggage from walking space, push stools under the bench, stand up, walk carefully and slowly - don't rush and handle equipment and apparatus carefully. Preliminary Experiment: I did a small experiment before doing the real one so I could find a suitable range to base my investigation round. I used 3 chips in 3 boiling tubes, each containing 20cm3 of: 0M sucrose, 0.5M sucrose and 1M sucrose. Moles of Sucrose /M Original Mass /g Mass after 3 hours /g Up/Down in mass 0M 8.02 9.94 Up 0.5M 8.18 7.83 Down M 8.83 7.20 Down As you can see from my preliminary results, I should investigate between 0M sucrose and 0.5M sucrose as a suitable range. I predicted that the isotonic concentration lies between 0.35M and 0.4M. Method: I will cut 5 chips with no skin on them and have them approximately the same length, width, breadth and mass (using the balance and Vernier callipers for extra accuracy), then I will dry off the sap completely. I will
Investigate a factor which can affect the process of osmosis in a living plant tissue
Meetal Odedra 11V Biology coursework Investigate a factor which can affect the process of osmosis in a living plant tissue Planning For this coursework investigation I will be investigating factors that affect the process of osmosis in a living plant cell, but mainly focusing on one factor I have chosen. In order to do so, I have conducted some background research on osmosis to help me understand the investigation in hand. Background Scientific Research (Using D.G. Mackean's GCSE Biology textbook) Osmosis is defined as the movement of water molecules from a high concentration of water (potential) to a lower concentration of water (potential) down a concentration gradient, through a partially permeable membrane. When a substance such as sugar dissolves in water, it reduces the concentration of the water molecules because the sugar molecules attract some of the water molecules and stop them moving freely. Osmosis can be explained with the help of the diagram below: The diagram shows that the sugar molecules on the right have attracted half of the water molecules. There are now more free water molecules on the left than on the right so water molecules will diffuse more rapidly from left to right across the partially permeable membrane, than from right to left. This is because the net movement of the water molecules move from the high concentration of water
Mr Chips: Investigation to find an isotonic solution for potatoes
Mr Chips: Investigation to find an isotonic solution for potatoes Introduction Investigation aimed to find out the amount of grams of salt solute needed to create an isotonic solution to prevent osmosis in fresh cut potato chips. Osmosis is the movement of water molecules through a selectively-permeable membrane down a water potential gradient. More specifically, it is the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high water potential (low solute concentration) to an area of low water potential (high solute concentration). The water molecules will continue to move through the semi-permeable membrane until both sides have reached a state of equilibrium. Isotonic solution is a solution in which its solute concentration is the same as the solute concentration of another solution with which it is compared In plant cells when water moves into the vacuole it increases in size and pushes the cell membrane against the cell wall, this causes the cellulose cell wall to stretch slightly and when it can stretch no further it becomes taut and firm. The pressure inside the cell rises and eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis. At this point the cell wall prevents the cell from bursting and is said to be fully turgid. Turgidity is very
The effect of temperature on the hydrolysis of starch using amylase extracted from barley.
Sasha Caddy, RM11. 20/01/04 The effect of temperature on the hydrolysis of starch using amylase extracted from barley Interpretation of results: Enzymes are a class of proteins that catalyse chemical reactions, which increases the rate of a metabolic reaction. Most enzymes are specific, working on a particular or class of reactions. In this case I am using an enzyme known as amylase (a group of enzymes which convert starch to sugar), which is an important metabolic enzyme. Amylase is found in various parts of the body including the saliva of the parotid gland and the pancreas, e.g. ptyalin, which aids in the digestion of carbohydrates by speeding up specific digestive processes taking place from the mouth to the small intestines. However, in this experiment we are using amylase which has been extracted from barley. The function of amylase is to catalyze (to modify the rate of a chemical reaction by catalysis) the hydrolysis (decomposition of a chemical compound by reaction with water) of starch into glucose. Starch is a mixture of two compounds; amylose and amylopectin, both of these molecules are polymers which contain a large, variable number of a-glucose molecules linked to each other by condensation. Amylase acts on starch, which is a polysaccharide (a class of carbohydrates; starch, consisting of a number of twenty-five monosaccharides) and breaks it down into
effect of concentration of copper sulphate on the action of amylase to break down starch.
Biology Coursework Abstract In this investigation I am going to explore the effect of concentration of copper sulphate on the action of amylase to break down starch. Copper sulphate is a very common chemical that can be used in a lot of different areas, but little has been discussed on its effect on amylase. I will find out which type of inhibitor copper ion is and how does it actually inhibits amylase, and also how concentration of copper sulpahte will affect the rate at which amylase works. Aim of investigation The aim of this investigation is to find out how concentration of copper sulphate affects the action of amylase. Hypothesis The higher the concentration of copper sulphate, the slower the amylase works. Rationale There are two ways that we could have consumed copper sulphate. Water pipes are responsible for transporting water, and some of them are made out of copper. Copper pipes can become rusted if there is high sulphate content in the water, basic copper sulphate is precipitated which can grow through the pipe wall creating pit holes [1]. Copper sulphate is also used in some places to treat sewer lines, tree roots are constantly looking for water and organic sources and sewer lines are the perfect site for them. Tree roots will penetrate and damage the pipes which will is expensive to repair. Copper sulfate kills tree roots without killing the tree or
