Enzyme Activity Essay, Research Paper

Enzyme Activity in the Liver

Lab #6

Jenniffer DeSimone

Monday Lab

Lab Performed: 11/6/00

Lab Submitted: 11/13/00

Introduction: Within each of our body cells are thousands of enzymes. These enzymes are proteins, or chains of amino acids that are responsible for chemical reactions. Enzymes are also called organic catalysts. A catalyst is a substance that speeds a chemical reaction without getting changed much itself. The catalyst we?ll be using in this experiment is Hydrogen Peroxide or H2O2.

Objective: To demonstrate the activity of enzymes under different conditions.

Materials: 1) Hydrogen Peroxide

2) Beaker

3) Chicken liver (fresh, boiled, frozen, and vinegar soaked)

4) Tweezers

Procedure: 1) grind up a chunk of fresh liver.

2) Scoops up all the ground material and place it into another test tube containing about a half-inch of fresh H2O2.

3) Repeat step the steps using the boiled, frozen, boiled and vinegar soaked liver.

4) Repeat the same procedure, using small chunks of organic materials that are available at your or the teacher? s demonstration table.

Results: Q: What happens when raw liver is placed in H2O2?

A: A lot of bubbling occurs.

Catalase Activity in Various Substances

Substance

Amount of Bubbling Rating by Number

Frozen Liver Many 2

Boiled Liver None 5

Vinegar-soaked Liver A little 3

Fresh Liver A lot 1

Conclusions: Q: How do we know that Catalase was present in our living materials?

A: Because no chemical reactions could take place without them.

Q: What effect does grinding have on our Catalase activity?

A: It allows the H2O2 to start breaking it down faster.

Q: What effect does freezing have on Catalase activity?

A: It slows it down.

Q: What effect does boiling have on Catalase activity? Explain.

A: It doesn?t allow much activity to occur because the enzymes in the liver were changed when they were boiled.

Q: What effect does acidity have on enzyme activity?

A: It effects how fast and how much the enzymes can break down because some enzymes can only work under certain conditions.

Q: Why does H2O2 bubble when placed on an open cut?

A: It bubbles because a chemical reaction is taking place between the H2O2 whatever else in inside the cut.

Bibliography

Encyclopedia Encarta 99