The Purpose of This Experiment Was to Identify If the Catalase Is Positive for Ph Activity

Purpose

The purpose of this experiment was to identify if the catalase is positive for pH activity.

Introduction

An enzyme is a protein that catalyzes chemical reactions of other substances without itself being destroyed or altered upon completion of the reactions. The enzyme molecule was discovered in 1936 to be a protein crystal. Enzymes increase rate of reaction by lowering the energy of the transition state molecule being formed in a particular reaction. Or by providing an alternative reaction pathway which is lower in energy than the pathway usually followed. Enzymes are divided into six main groups: oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, isomerases, and ligases Catalase is a type of enzyme found in different types of foods such as potatoes, apples and livers. It speeds up the disintegration of hydrogen peroxide into water because of the molecule of hydrogen peroxide, but it remains unchanged at the end of the reaction. This is a type of reaction where a molecule is broken down into smaller pieces. It is called an anabolic reaction. This experiment is the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide to form water and oxygen in the air. Extremely high or low pH values generally result in complete loss of activity for most enzymes. PH is also a factor in the stability of enzymes. As with activity, for each enzyme there is also a region of pH optimal stability. In addition to temperature and pH there are other factors, such as ionic strength, which can affect the enzymatic reaction. Each of these physical and chemical parameters must be considered and optimized in order for an enzymatic reaction to be accurate and reproducible.

Materials

• Test tubes

• Wax pencil

• HCl

• Distilled water

• NaOH

• Hydrogen peroxide

• pH test strips

• ruler

• catalase

Method

Using the wax pencil measure 1cm, 3cm, and 7cm from the bottom of test tubes 1, 2, and 3. Fill each tube to the 1cm mark with catalase.