Planning an experiment to investigate the effect of an enzyme on the rate of hydrogen peroxide breakdown.

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Planning an experiment to investigate the effect of an enzyme on the rate                                                                                                                                                                                                 of hydrogen peroxide breakdown

Aim

To investigate the effect of celery extract concentration on the rate of   hydrogen peroxide breakdown.

Question:

What is the most efficient concentration of celery extract enzyme to breakdown the solution of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen?

Apparatus

Hydrogen peroxide solution

Celery extract solution

Stand

Clamp & boss

6 Test tubes

Stopwatch

Test tube rack

150cm conical flask + bung + tubing + 3 way tap

Tubing

Through

Gas syringe

Balance

Goggles

Labels

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide will breakdown to oxygen and water in the presence of catalase. The reaction will increase with increasing enzyme concentration when molecules of hydrogen peroxide are freely available. However, when molecules of the substrate are in short supply, the increase in rate of reaction is limited and will have little effect.

Celery extract (catalase)

This important enzyme in present in all aerobic tissues (Vines and Rees, 1969). Since hydrogen peroxide is toxic to protoplasm it must be broken down into water and molecular oxygen. Catalase is the enzyme that controls this reaction in nature. It also has industrial uses in food production and in the conversion of latex to foam rubber. (Green, N. Stout, G. Taylor, D 1984)

Factors

Here are several factors that affect the activity of the enzyme, catalase, were considered and controlled so that they would not disrupt the success of the experiment.

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Temperature

-As temperature increases, molecules move faster. In an enzyme catalysed reaction, such as the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, this increases the rate at which the enzyme and substrate molecules meet and therefore the rate at which the products are formed. As the temperature continues to rise, however, the hydrogen and ionic bonds, which hold the enzyme molecules in shape, are broken. If the molecular structure is disrupted, the enzyme ceases to function as the active site no longer accommodates the substrate. The enzyme is denatured.

-We can just use the room temperature (20-23ºC) in this experiment.

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