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Understanding Enzymes and the Factors that Affect Them

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Understanding Enzymes and the Factors that Affect Them
RUNNING HEAD: Understanding Enzymes

Understanding Enzymes
Amanda Chung
Blanche Ely High School

Abstract The researcher conducted this experiment in order to investigate how various factors effected enzymes. Those factors were the concentration of the enzyme, the temperature it had to work in, and the pH level of the solutions as well. All three were hypothesized to speed up the rate at which the enzyme acted. A series of several tests were carried out to find the answer to each problem. First, the scientist witnessed the enzyme diastase work in a natural environment, which was a room temperature starch solution. Five trials involving enzyme and starch solution were carried out using increasing amounts of diastase to test the effect of concentration. Cold, room temperature, body temperature, and hot enzyme solutions were timed and observed to find out what effect temperature had on the reactions. To see how pH level effected enzyme reactions, the researcher used hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, and distilled water to create solutions. The data recorded from the investigations were very useful in helping the scientist gain an understanding of how enzymes work and how some factors can either aid or hinder their processes.

Table of Content
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..pg. 4
Materials and Method………………………………………………………………….pg. 10
Results….........................................................................................................................pg. 13
Discussion……………………………………………………………………………...pg. 15
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..pg. 19
Appendix………………………………………………………………………………pg. 20
References……………………………………………………………………………...pg. 00
Introduction
This investigation was carried out in order for the researcher to gain an understanding of enzymes in how they work, and the relative speed at which they carry out their processes. Before it was conducted, the scientist had very limited knowledge of the proteins, so



References: Bowen, R. (2012). The Structure of Proteins. Colorado State University. Retrieved from: http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/genetics/biotech/basics/prostruct.html Cara Lea Council-Garcia. (2002). Biological Macromolecules. University of New Mexico. Retrieved from: http://biology.unm.edu/ccouncil/Biology_124/Summaries/Macromol.html Christen S. (2011). Why Are Certain Amino Acids Considered Essential Amino Acids? Livestrong.com. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/427998-why-are-certain-amino-acids-considered-essential-amino-acids/#ixzz2DvkNxpfd Clark, J. (2012). The Structure of Proteins. Chemguide. Retrieved from: http://www.chemguide.co.uk/organicprops/aminoacids/proteinstruct.html Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. (2009). Protease. University at Buffalo. Retrieved from: http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~sjpark6/pednotes/Protease.pdf Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. (2012). Protein. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html Kimpel, P.A. (2000). Amino Acids: Should They Be Taken As Supplements? University of Florida. Retrieved from: http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring2000/kimpel/aminoacids.html Renee, J. (2004). The Effects of Temperature, pH, Enzyme Concentration , and Substrate Concentration on Catecholase. University of Alabama at Birmingham. Retrieved from: http://students.cis.uab.edu/jorenee/preliminary.html The Biology Project. (2003). The Chemistry of Amino Acids. University of Arizona. Retrieved from: http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/problem_sets/aa/aa.html Traister, J. (2011). Whate Are Non-Essential Amino Acids? Livestrong.com Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/418044-what-are-non-essential-amino-

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