Potato Enzyme Experiment

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Abstract: In this lab, three variables were tested to discover their effect on the enzyme catalase, taken from a cut and blended potato. The blended potato mixture was strained and put into a centrifuge, the liquid that was in the centrifuge contained the enzyme and remained on ice. The enzyme was placed in test tubes that had varying levels of pH buffers, substrate concentrations and temperatures; the pH, substrate concentration and temperature were the three variables. The data showed that each variable contained an optimum level at which the enzyme was most effective.

Intro: Enzymes are vital to the existence of life. Living organisms have innumerable chemical reactions occurring their bodies at all time and these chemical reactions must be regulated. Enzymes are proteins, or sometimes RNA molecules, whose job is to perform the catalysis that
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The cut up potato pieces were covered in ice water and blended for one-two minutes until a slurry-like mixture remained. The slurry was strained through three layers of cheesecloth and the liquid was poured into a centrifuge tube, balanced and placed in a centrifuge to be spun for 10 minutes at 7500 rmp/4℃. After being spun, the centrifuge tube that contained the enzyme was immediately placed on ice. Two of the groups then added five ml of the enzyme to a 50 ml tube, as well as 2 ml of pH buffer and 3 ml of 1.7% H2O2,
The pH buffers tested were 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5, with each level having one initial and two replicate tests. The other four groups added 5 ml of enzyme to a test tube as well, repeating the process, but using varying levels of substrate concentration and temperatures instead of pH buffers.
The two groups testing substrate concentration added 5 ml of 0.375% H2O2 to the enzyme for an initial test and two replicates, and repeated the procedure for concentrations 0.75%, 1.5% and

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