Enzymes and Reaction Rate

Introduction

• Enzymes are biological molecules that act as catalysts, speeding up chemical reactions in living organisms.
• They play a crucial role in regulating the rate of various biochemical processes.

Catalase Enzyme

• Catalase is an enzyme found in various organisms, including yeast.
• It catalyses the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into water (H2O) and oxygen (O2).

Investigating Enzyme Activity

• Scientists can investigate enzyme activity under different conditions to understand how enzymes function and how external factors affect their performance.

Immobilised Yeast Beads

• Experiments can be conducted using immobilised yeast beads to study the effect of catalase on the rate of hydrogen peroxide degradation.

Variables to Investigate

• Various conditions can be altered to study enzyme activity, including:
  • Temperature
  • pH (acidity or alkalinity)
  • Concentration of enzymes
  • Concentration of substrates
  • Presence of inhibitors

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Enzymes and Reaction Rate

Substrate Concentration

• Changing the concentration of the substrate (hydrogen peroxide) can be tested to observe its impact on catalase activity.
• Higher substrate concentrations typically result in increased enzyme activity until a saturation point is reached.

Changing pH

• The effect of altering the pH level on catalase activity can be studied.
• Enzymes often have an optimal pH at which they work most efficiently.

Summary