An Investigation Into a Reaction Catalysed by a Protease

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An Investigation Into a Reaction Catalysed by a Protease

Aim.

To investigate the effect of temperature and the effectiveness of this

enzyme in breaking down the gelatine (protein) on the back of

photographic film.

Prediction

I predict that the effect of the temperature will be that the higher

the temperature the quicker the enzyme will break down the gelatine,

but the temperature will have to be an optimum temperature because if

it is too high, the enzyme will be denatured. If the temperature is

too low, the enzyme will not work and stay stable.

Increasing the temperature provides more heat energy. This increases

the kinetic energy and makes the enzyme molecules move faster. There

will be an increase in the number of collisions and this will increase

the rates of reaction.

If the temperature continues to increase beyond 40°c, the molecules

move even faster, but the structure of the enzyme molecules has so

much energy that the bonds break. The enzyme begins to lose its

globular shape, which effects the active site, and the enzyme becomes

denatured. Also, for every enzyme there is an optimum PH at which the

reaction it catalyses proceeds most rapidly. Many enzymes work within

a PH range of an about 5-9 and works most efficiently at neutral of PH

7, that is why I will be using water.

Equipment

*10 pieces of photographic film

*20ml of protease enzyme in each test tube

*Water baths (23°c, 40°c, 50°c, 60°c, and 70°c)

*Buffer (5ml in each test tube)

*Stop watch

*Distilled water

*10 boiling tubes

*Goggles

Safety

Wear goggles, wear a lab coat, wash your hands after experiment, make

sure cotton is thread through the photographic film to avoid

contamination.

Variables

*Temperature is kept constant and controlled

* The film size is the same throughout

*Range of temperatures is used

*Use of a buffer (chemical to maintain a constant PH)

Method

Firstly set up the water baths at the specific temperatures and leave

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