STUDENT TASK:

Answer the following activity questions:

1. Biological relationship between hydrogen peroxide and catalase
Catalase is an enzyme that catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
Just like many others, this enymes participates in the transformation of one
substance into the other. Catalase converts hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen.

2. Why aren’t your cells poisoned to death even though they create toxins like
hydrogen peroxide?
Those cells have powerful hydrogen peroxide decomposers, the equally
well-known catalases, which allow cells to survive thousands-fold higher
concentrated hydrogen peroxide and, when combined with adequate movement of
hydrogen peroxide throughout membranes, create killing hydrogen peroxide
concentrations virtually impossible to generate in vivo.
3. What is enzyme specificity?
Specificity is an enzyme's way to differentiate a specific substrate from a group
of chemical compounds that seem to be similar.

4. Describe the following enzyme specificity.

SPECIFICITY DESCRIPTION

Bond specificity • This is referred to as relative

specificity.
• Bond specificity enzymes are
only active on substrates with
similar bonds and structures.
Group specificity • It's also referred to as moderate
specificity.
• Catalyzing a reaction on a
function group of a variety of
molecules is an enzyme activity.
Substrate specificity • It is also known as absolute
specificity, because the specificity
here is extremely high.
• Substrate specific enzymes are
those that are specific to only one
substrate and one reaction.
Stereo specificity • Optical specificity is another term
for it.
The enzyme is not only specific to a
substrate, but also to its optical
arrangement in this case.
• Considered to have the highest
specificity of any enzyme class in
the living universe.
Geometrical specificity • Because a single enzyme can
work on a variety of substrates
with identical molecular shape,
specificity is low.
Co-factor specificity • Is a nonprotein chemical
molecule or metallic ion required
for catalytic activity of an
enzyme.

5. Describe the relationship of the following concept:

Concept DESCRIPTION

Enzyme influence on reaction velocity As the concentration of substrate

increases, the rate of a chemical reaction
increases. Enzymes have the ability to
dramatically accelerate the rate of a
reaction.
Effect of temperature on enzymatic As the temperature rises, the rate of an
activity enzyme-catalyzed process increases. The
rate, however, drops at high
temperatures because the enzyme
becomes denatured and no longer
functions.
Effect of pH with enzymatic activity. The structure of an enzyme's active site
Include example of enzymes optimum is also affected by changes in pH. Each
pH. enzyme performs optimally at a certain
pH level. The optimum pH of enzymes in
the small intestine is about 7.5, but the
optimum pH of enzymes in the stomach
is about 2.
Effect of activators on the activity of Enzyme activators are chemicals that
enzymes. Include examples. attach to enzymes and cause them to
become more active. Fructose
2,6-bisphosphate, which activates
phosphofructokinase 1 and raises
glycolysis rate in response to the
hormone glucagon, is an example of an
enzyme activator that works in this
 fashion.
Effect of inhibitors on enzyme activity Enzyme inhibitors are chemicals that
interfere with an enzyme's catalytic
function, slowing or stopping catalysis in
some situations.
Effect of substrate concentration on If there is enough substrate, enzymes will
enzymatic activity work best. The rate of enzyme activity
increases in proportion to the
concentration of substrate.
Effect of enzyme concentration on As long as there is substrate to bind to,
enzymatic activity increasing enzyme concentration will
speed up the reaction. The reaction will
no longer speed up once all of the
substrate has been bound, as there will
be nothing for new enzymes to bind to.

6. Describe the following extremophiles extremozymes:

EXTREMOZYMES DESCRIPTION

Piezophiles Species that live in a state of great

hydrostatic pressure
Halophiles A living organism in a high-salinity
environment, such as the ocean or solid
salt crystals.
Thermophiles An organism that can survive in a setting
with high temperatures. Because they
possess enzymes that can work at high
temperatures, they can thrive in such
harsh temperatures.
Cryophiles Extremophilic organisms are those that
can thrive and reproduce at extremely
low temperatures.
Acidophiles Are species that can survive in acidic
surroundings and even thrive in them
Alkaliphiles One of the most important types of
extremophiles includes creatures that
grow best at or above pH 9.

ACTION OF CATALASE ON HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Material:

▪ 60mL Hydrogen peroxide or agua oxygenada 3% solution

 ▪ 1 piece of potato (or liver from chicken, pork or beef if available), use only
enough

▪ Acid: 20mL Vinegar

▪ Base: 1 tablespoon Baking powder (or chopped to fine powder bath soap,
except dove soap or kojic acid soap or any soap that is not acidic). Note: check
pH level of the soap you are using to confirm pH level as basic

▪ 20mL Tap, Cold and Hot water

▪ 5 clear glasses with the same size (preferably taller glass or long neck narrow
glass) that will serve as your 100mL graduated cylinder or 300mL beaker. Hence,
please mark the glasses with uniform calibration if possible. Label the glasses
with: Acid, Base, Hot water, Cold water, Tap (neutral) But make a separate 2
empty glasses for the preliminary experiment. One for water (in room
temperature) and one for hydrogen peroxide.

▪ Kitchen knife for chopping of the potato (you might include peeler for the
removal of its skin)

▪ Chopping board

▪ Mortar and pestle (food processor or blender, if available)

▪ Medicine cup, syringe, or calibrated dropper for measuring volumes of

hydrogen peroxide and other solutions

PROCEDURE:
Note: Use only an enough portion of potato for the experiment.

2. Peel the potato. Cut, into cubes, equally on your desired size.

Preliminary experiment:
3. On a separate glass, place one (1) cube each of the potato.
4. Add separately 5 drops of water and 5 drops of hydrogen peroxide in the glasses
with potato cube.
5. Observe if the results. Main experiment:
6. Separately mash five (5) cubes to create a fine substance and place it in the
assigned glass container.
7. Place the following materials in the assigned glass.
 ▪ Glass #1: acidic solution (ex. Vinegar)

▪ Glass #2: one (1) tablespoon of the basic powder (ex. Baking powder)

▪ Glass #3: cold water

▪ Glass #4: hot water

▪ Glass #5: tap water (room temp.)

8. Leave for 3 minutes. Drain only the acid, cold, hot and tap water after.
9. Add 10mL of hydrogen peroxide in each of the glasses.
10. Observe the results and compare. You may use calibration as one way to present
your observations.

Note: You will have almost the same procedure if you are using chicken, pork, or beef
liver.

RESULTS, OBSERVATIONS, and INTERPRETATION:

Preliminary experiment:

VISUAL OBSERVATION and INTERPRETATION

Potato + Water Potato + Hydrogen peroxide

-When water was applied to the potato, -When the hydrogen peroxide was added
no reaction was observed to the potatoes, it produced a bubbling
reaction.
Explain the rationale or principle behind the results/experiment?

Catalase is an enzyme that helps to break down hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and
water. When the potato is exposed to hydrogen peroxide, the presence of the
enzyme is visible, as is the quick development of oxygen bubbles.

When hydrogen peroxide was given to the potato, it caused a bubble response,
which indicates the metabolic process of disintegration. Catalase, a potato enzyme,
is responsible for this reaction. Catalase is an enzyme that breaks down hydrogen
peroxide into oxygen and water.

Main experiment:
VISUAL OBSERVATION and INTERPRETATION: Influence of pH

Potato + Acid+ Hydrogen peroxide Potato + Base + Hydrogen peroxide

No reaction was observed. Formation of bubbles was observed

Explain the rationale or principle behind the results/experiment? (In comparison

with potato + hydrogen peroxide alone from the preliminary experiment conducted.)

Catalase is also found in plants and works best at a neutral pH, according to our
findings. Because the potato is highly acidic, it had no reaction when it was mixed
with acid (vinegar) causing the catalase to become inactive and lose its enzyme
abilities, as opposed to when it is active was mixed up with the base (baking soda),
resulting in the formation of bubbles.

Because the catalase (a potato enzyme) is breaking down hydrogen peroxide into
oxygen and water, the early experiment produces a bubbling response. Since the
catalase enzyme was disabled by adding acid (vinegar) to the mashed potato before
adding hydrogen peroxide, there were no bubbles in glass #1.

Furthermore, adding hydrogen peroxide to glass #2, which includes a basic (baking
soda), caused it to bubble.
Formed bubbles, indicating the presence of an enzyme that worked hard to
decompose hydrogen.

VISUAL OBSERVATION and INTERPRETATION: Influence of TEMPERATURE

Potato + Cold water+ Potato + Tap water (room Potato + Hot water+
Hydrogen peroxide temperature) + Hydrogen Hydrogen peroxide
peroxide

-The formation of fewer -The formation of bubbles -The formation of little to

bubbles was observed. was observed and has the no bubbles was observed
most bubbles among the
three.
Explain the rationale or principle behind the results/experiment?

The metabolic process of breakdown is represented by the bubbling response in the

experiment. This reaction is triggered by catalase, a potato enzyme.

Because catalase functions best at room temperature, the potato that was bathed in
tap water at room temperature created the most bubbles during the experiment.
The potato drenched in cold water, on the other hand, produces fewer bubbles
because the catalase enzyme's ability to break down hydrogen peroxide is slowed by
the cold temperature. Finally, because heat damaged the catalase enzyme,
rendering it incapable of processing hydrogen peroxide, the potato immersed in hot
water produces little to no bubbles.

Finally, catalase enzymes perform best at temperatures close to body temperature

(37.5 °C), and they don't work as effectively at temps below 30 °C or above 45 °C.

Post laboratory questions:

1. Using the equation below, supply reaction involved in the experiment
E + S ⇆ ES → E + P
Catalase + Hydrogen peroxide (2H2O2) ⇆ 2H2O + O2 → Catalase + 2H2O + O2 .
Catalase is a catalytic enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide,
the substrate, into water and oxygen, resulting in an enzyme-substrate complex and
then a product.

2. How did you account for the physical observation of the action of catalase?
Due to the creation of bubbles during the reaction, the physical observation of
catalase action in the experiment. The catalase test is positive if bubbles appear after
adding hydrogen peroxide. Catalase is a detoxifying enzyme that breaks down
hydrogen peroxide into water and atomic oxygen. Catalase bubbles off in the gas
phase when it transforms hydrogen peroxide to molecular oxygen.

3. Which of the enzyme specificity is represented by the experiment, conducted in

the preliminary part? Why?
Because the enzyme performed exactly one reaction, it has absolute specificity.

4. State the optimum pH and temperature of catalase enzyme.

Catalase functions best in humans when the pH is between 7 and 11, and the
optimal temperature is 37 degrees. When the pH falls below 7 or rises above 11, the
enzyme denatures and loses its structure. The liver maintains a pH of around 7,
which is ideal for catalase and other enzymes to function.

Documentation
 Group members Contribution

Jakosalem, Anna Myrtle F. Observing and answered student task

number 6.
Escala, April Mae Doing the experiment and answered
about the results and observations.

Popus, Russel Mae Observing and answered student task 1-4

Candazo, Sheena Mae Observing and she answered some

questions in post lab questions.

Biaco, Sofia Denise Observing, answered student task

number 5 and in post lab questions.