The Effects of Ph and Concentration Levels on Catecholase
Abstract This lab was performed in order to discover the activity of the enzyme catecholase in different pH levels as well as its absorbance in differently concentrated solutions. A spetrophotometer was used to measure the absorbance of the enzyme catecholase in different pH solutions as well as to measure the absorbance of catecholase in solutions with different concentrations of potato juice and phosphate buffers. Absorbance of the enzyme catecholase was at an optimum level when pH was close to neutral. When pH was acidic or basic, the catecholase was less effective. Also, when there was a higher concentration of potato juice and a lower concentration of phosphate buffer, absorbance of the enzyme increased.
Introduction According to Edmund J. Stellwag, in his article "Enzyme" an enzyme is “a catalytic protein produced by living cells.” Enzymes function as catalysts by lowering the amount of energy required for a reaction to occur. “Enzymes already have a wide range of applications, including chemical synthesis, biodegradation of harmful chemicals, environmental and medical diagnostics, medical therapeutics, food manufacturing, detergents, and agriculture” (Kuchner). Because enzymes are biological molecules, changes in pH can greatly change their effectivity in chemical reactions. A change in the concentration of enzymes in a given area can also greatly affect the rate of reaction. The purpose of this lab was to observe and to record the activity of the enzyme catecholase in different pH levels as well as its effectivity in different concentration levels. Hypothesis A: If pH level increases (becomes more basic), then absorbance of the enzyme catecholase will increase. Null Hypothesis A: If pH levels increase, then absorbance of the enzyme catecholase will decrease. Hypothesis B: If the concentration of potato juice in an area increases and phosphate buffer decreases, then absorbance will increase. Null Hypothesis B: If the
Introduction According to Edmund J. Stellwag, in his article "Enzyme" an enzyme is “a catalytic protein produced by living cells.” Enzymes function as catalysts by lowering the amount of energy required for a reaction to occur. “Enzymes already have a wide range of applications, including chemical synthesis, biodegradation of harmful chemicals, environmental and medical diagnostics, medical therapeutics, food manufacturing, detergents, and agriculture” (Kuchner). Because enzymes are biological molecules, changes in pH can greatly change their effectivity in chemical reactions. A change in the concentration of enzymes in a given area can also greatly affect the rate of reaction. The purpose of this lab was to observe and to record the activity of the enzyme catecholase in different pH levels as well as its effectivity in different concentration levels. Hypothesis A: If pH level increases (becomes more basic), then absorbance of the enzyme catecholase will increase. Null Hypothesis A: If pH levels increase, then absorbance of the enzyme catecholase will decrease. Hypothesis B: If the concentration of potato juice in an area increases and phosphate buffer decreases, then absorbance will increase. Null Hypothesis B: If the
Cited: Daniel Wellner, G. P. Royer, Edmund J. Stellwag, "Enzyme," in AccessScience, McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008, http://www.accessscience.com Neil A. Campbell, Jane B. Reece, Lisa Andrea Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven Alexander Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, Robert Bradley Jackson. Biology Ninth Edition. San Francisco: Pearson, Benjamin Cummings, 2011. Print. Olga Kuchner, "Enzymes and directed molecular evolution," in AccessScience, McGraw-Hill Companies, 1998, http://www.accessscience.com