Tyrosinase Lab Report

A chemical reaction’s rate is described by the amount of product formed. Substances that increase that rate are called catalysts. Catalysts are often proteins called enzymes. Enzymes change the pathway of the reaction between the products and the product. However, enzymes don’t alter the starting or ending points. Enzymes are effective by reducing the activation energy. The enzyme tyrosinase is located in melanocytes. These are cells that produce the pigment melanin. Melanin gives skin, eyes, and hair their color. Tyrosinase is a key factor in the first step of melanin production. It transforms the amino acid tyrosine to the compound dopaquinone. Then dopaquinone is converted to melanin in the hair follicles, skin and the retina. Tyrosinase is also responsible for the brown color that forms on the inside of fruits and vegetables after they have been cut. The tyrosinase catalyzes the reaction with oxygen and catechol. Catechol is an organic alcohol found in most plants. Tyrosinase and catechol oxidases have a binuclear type 3-cooper center. …show more content…
If the pH solution in which the tyrosinase enzyme is different, then there will be different amounts of product concentration. This will be measured with the spectrophotometer. Different enzymes work faster with different pH buffers. According to research, “ the optimal pH for tyrosinase and catechol oxidation is 6-7” Therefore, using different buffers will result in different spectrophotometer readings. The optimal pH of 6-7 will cause the enzyme activity to go faster. Solutions with a pH of 4(acidic), 7(neutral), and 10(basic) will be tested with the tyrosinase and catechol. Each solution will be tested twice for validity. The solution with the same pH as water will produce a better environment for the enzyme to react. This reaction was previously proven in experiment