Modeling enzymes: How does catalase affect the initial rate of formation and total amount of O2?
Introduction In water, hydrogen peroxide converts naturally into diatomic oxygen gas and water through the collision of water molecules. However, this reaction occurs at an extremely slow rate. With the presence of an enzyme, catalase, the reaction occurs at a much faster rate. This is because catalase binds with the hydrogen peroxide substrate at its transition state to weaken the covalent bonds, reducing the energy and precision needed for a collision of water molecules to yield a reaction. In our cells, there are numerous naturally occurring reactions which produce hydrogen peroxide. However, hydrogen peroxide is a toxin to the human body. Although it naturally decomposes to oxygen and water, this reaction is slow. To …show more content…
We obtained catalase in a beaker, and then surrounded the beaker with ice, replacing the ice as needed. We also set up a cold-water bath with 2-3 inches of water, and filled a 100 mL graduated cylinder with water and inverted it in the water bath. It was important for us to keep the catalase at a constant temperature below room temperature, because varying temperatures could alter the results. As temperature affects the rate of the reaction, it is important to maintain a constant temperature so that the only factor is the catalase concentration. Furthermore, as catalase, a biological enzyme, denatures at high temperatures, it is essential for us to keep the catalase at lower temperatures. By utilizing ice and a cold water bath, we prevented the catalase from denaturing and negated the effects of varying temperatures for the reaction chamber, ensuring that the only variable changing was catalase concentration.
2. We obtained 10mL of hydrogen peroxide in a graduated cylinder. To ensure we get exactly 10mL, we also utilized a pipette. For all trials, both the pipette and the graduated cylinder were the same, and were not
Introduction In water, hydrogen peroxide converts naturally into diatomic oxygen gas and water through the collision of water molecules. However, this reaction occurs at an extremely slow rate. With the presence of an enzyme, catalase, the reaction occurs at a much faster rate. This is because catalase binds with the hydrogen peroxide substrate at its transition state to weaken the covalent bonds, reducing the energy and precision needed for a collision of water molecules to yield a reaction. In our cells, there are numerous naturally occurring reactions which produce hydrogen peroxide. However, hydrogen peroxide is a toxin to the human body. Although it naturally decomposes to oxygen and water, this reaction is slow. To …show more content…
We obtained catalase in a beaker, and then surrounded the beaker with ice, replacing the ice as needed. We also set up a cold-water bath with 2-3 inches of water, and filled a 100 mL graduated cylinder with water and inverted it in the water bath. It was important for us to keep the catalase at a constant temperature below room temperature, because varying temperatures could alter the results. As temperature affects the rate of the reaction, it is important to maintain a constant temperature so that the only factor is the catalase concentration. Furthermore, as catalase, a biological enzyme, denatures at high temperatures, it is essential for us to keep the catalase at lower temperatures. By utilizing ice and a cold water bath, we prevented the catalase from denaturing and negated the effects of varying temperatures for the reaction chamber, ensuring that the only variable changing was catalase concentration.
2. We obtained 10mL of hydrogen peroxide in a graduated cylinder. To ensure we get exactly 10mL, we also utilized a pipette. For all trials, both the pipette and the graduated cylinder were the same, and were not