CATALASE AND HYDROGENPEROXIDE

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Elizabeth Oluwajuwa Adeniran

CATALASE AND HYDROGENPEROXIDE

Enzymes are biological catalysts which means it is produced organically made by the cells it’s a molecules made up of protein which are synthesized by the cell to perform very specific functions. Enzymes are an important part of life due to the fact that they regulate chemical reactions within the body. Enzymes control the rate and direction of the reaction they also speed up chemical reactions allowing them to occur more easily this occurs in four different ways, one way is heat, another is increasing the rate of reactants, the third way is decreasing the amount of products and the fourth way is enzymes, which speed up reaction without themselves being used up. Without them we would not be alive because they are involved in digestion, respiration, reproduction, vision, movement, thought, and also in the productions of other enzymes. Simple cells may have as many as 2000 enzymes with each one catalyzing a different reaction. An enzyme can speed up a reaction making it 10, 000,000,000 times faster. All enzymes are made of protein; that is why they are sensitive to heat, pH and heavy metal ions. . Copper ions are poisonous: if you get copper ions in your blood they will block up some of the important enzymes in red and white blood cells. Unlike ordinary catalysts, they are specific to one chemical reaction an ordinary catalyst may be used for several different chemical reactions, but an enzyme only works for one specific reaction

        Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins. Basically, amino acids are joined together by peptide bonds to form the basic structure of proteins. However, owing to the many ‘side groups’ that are part of the amino acids other sorts of bonds may form between the amino acid units. Proteins are turned into complicated shapes that are unique to the protein and its important skill is to perform certain functions within the human body this is due to additional bonds. Proteins can also function as transport agents in the body, and are involved in transporting other substances around the body. E.g. Haemoglobin. This is an iron containing protein found in the blood that reacts with oxygen to form oxyhaemoglobin. This means that oxygen can be carried around the body in the blood a very efficient way of supplying it to the whole body. “Proteins also act as Transport molecules in cell membranes, helping in facilitated diffusion.”

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                Enzymes only work on one specific type of substrate that means that there is only one kind of substrate will fit into the enzyme's active site. Human’s enzymes optimum working temperature is 37°C (body temperature); however the optimum working temperature of catalase is 30°C. Enzymes have their optimum temperature which is when the molecules of the enzyme are moving at their fastest. This makes it more likely that the enzyme molecules will collide with the substrate and react. At 40°C, catalase becomes denatured, which means the molecular bonds of the enzyme are broken, the active site (the area on the ...

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