Catalase Experiment
Effect of an Orange on Catalase Activity in Comparison with a Potato
Introduction
Catalysts are substances that increase chemical reactions while using less energy. They also remain unchanged after use, which enables it to be used repeatedly. Cells have special catalysts called enzymes, which are specialized proteins that help accelerate chemical cell reactions. (Evert, RF & Eichhorn, SE 2013). Enzymes also control plant metabolic processes such as respiration (Evert RF, Eichhorn SE & Perry JB 2013). This experiment focuses on the enzyme catalase. Catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide is a waste product of cell metabolism that can be toxic to the cell (Evert RF, Eichhorn SE & Perry JB 2013).
The …show more content…
1977). The average rate of catalase activity as seen in the chart above is 4.97 seconds while the orange is at zero seconds. During the experiment, none of the orange filtered discs rose in the given amount of time. From the data, one can see that the orange has no effect on catalase activity. Therefore the null hypothesis, the orange will not affect the catalase activity is accepted.
Errors in the experiment could have come from not having the same amount of pH 7 and fine sand ground with the plant material. The amount of buffer could have been too little or too much in either plant material. Another source of error is the blotting of excess liquid; excess blotting can lead to loss of the enzyme catalase. Another error is time; more time could have been given to wait for the orange filtered disc paper to rise.
To further catalase activity studies, one can compare and contrast other plant species to the potato or keep the potato and change other variables such as the buffer used and/or temperature which has been done by others in the laboratory. Another experiment could be to pinpoint the location of catalase enzymes in an orange fruit. …show more content…
The orange fruit then in this experiment had no effect on catalase activity compared to the potato. Again, the null hypotheses that states: the orange will not affect the catalase activity is accepted.
References
Beers, RF & Sizer, IW. 1951. Breakdown of Hydrogen Peroxide by Catalase. Available from: http://uran.donetsk.ua/~masters/2012/fkita/pavlenko_a/library/article_9.pdf
Brinkman, FG & Sminia, T. 1977. Histochemical location of catalase in Peroxisomes and of Peroxidase in Cell walls and Golgi Bodies of Cells in Differentiating Potato Tuber Tissue. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenphysiologie. Accessed 10/12/15. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044328X77802316
Evert, RF & Eichhorn, SE. 2013. Raven Biology of Plants, 8th ed. USA: W.H Freeman and Company.
Evert ,RF, Eichhorn, SE & Perry JB. 2013. Laboratory Topics in Botany. W.H Freeman and Company: New York, NY. Lab topic 7 11-13 p.
Willekens, H, Inze, D, Van Montagu, M & van Camp, W. 1995. Catalases in Plants. Accessed 10/14/15. Available from:
Introduction
Catalysts are substances that increase chemical reactions while using less energy. They also remain unchanged after use, which enables it to be used repeatedly. Cells have special catalysts called enzymes, which are specialized proteins that help accelerate chemical cell reactions. (Evert, RF & Eichhorn, SE 2013). Enzymes also control plant metabolic processes such as respiration (Evert RF, Eichhorn SE & Perry JB 2013). This experiment focuses on the enzyme catalase. Catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide is a waste product of cell metabolism that can be toxic to the cell (Evert RF, Eichhorn SE & Perry JB 2013).
The …show more content…
1977). The average rate of catalase activity as seen in the chart above is 4.97 seconds while the orange is at zero seconds. During the experiment, none of the orange filtered discs rose in the given amount of time. From the data, one can see that the orange has no effect on catalase activity. Therefore the null hypothesis, the orange will not affect the catalase activity is accepted.
Errors in the experiment could have come from not having the same amount of pH 7 and fine sand ground with the plant material. The amount of buffer could have been too little or too much in either plant material. Another source of error is the blotting of excess liquid; excess blotting can lead to loss of the enzyme catalase. Another error is time; more time could have been given to wait for the orange filtered disc paper to rise.
To further catalase activity studies, one can compare and contrast other plant species to the potato or keep the potato and change other variables such as the buffer used and/or temperature which has been done by others in the laboratory. Another experiment could be to pinpoint the location of catalase enzymes in an orange fruit. …show more content…
The orange fruit then in this experiment had no effect on catalase activity compared to the potato. Again, the null hypotheses that states: the orange will not affect the catalase activity is accepted.
References
Beers, RF & Sizer, IW. 1951. Breakdown of Hydrogen Peroxide by Catalase. Available from: http://uran.donetsk.ua/~masters/2012/fkita/pavlenko_a/library/article_9.pdf
Brinkman, FG & Sminia, T. 1977. Histochemical location of catalase in Peroxisomes and of Peroxidase in Cell walls and Golgi Bodies of Cells in Differentiating Potato Tuber Tissue. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenphysiologie. Accessed 10/12/15. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044328X77802316
Evert, RF & Eichhorn, SE. 2013. Raven Biology of Plants, 8th ed. USA: W.H Freeman and Company.
Evert ,RF, Eichhorn, SE & Perry JB. 2013. Laboratory Topics in Botany. W.H Freeman and Company: New York, NY. Lab topic 7 11-13 p.
Willekens, H, Inze, D, Van Montagu, M & van Camp, W. 1995. Catalases in Plants. Accessed 10/14/15. Available from: