Catalase Essay

1040 Words3 Pages

EEI Daniel Blinks YR. 11

Background –
Catalase are an enzyme that catalyses the reduction of hydrogen peroxide into H2O and O2. Catalase are a common enzyme that can be found in almost all living organisms such as potatoes. It is specifically found in the cells that are exposed to oxygen and can be in a plant or animal cell. [1]

The effect of heat above 400 on catalase will make them denature and the production of O2 will slowly decrease. However when the catalase are too cold the rate of O2 production will decrease as the particles cannot move very fast and will not collide with each other as much. [2]

hydrogen peroxide, (H2O2), a colourless liquid usually produced as aqueous solutions of various strengths, used principally for bleaching cotton and other textiles and wood pulp, in the manufacture of other chemicals, as a rocket propellant, and for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Solutions containing more than about 8 percent hydrogen peroxide are corrosive to the skin. [3]

Hydrogen Peroxide decomposes into Oxygen and water [3]

Hydrogen Peroxide does not need the enzymes in the catalase to separate into Oxygen and Water. The catalase are only used to increase the rate of reaction.

Rationale –
To record the results of Oxygen created from decomposing Hydrogen peroxide with catalase that are either heated, cooled of left in room temperature.

Hypothesis –
Cold Potato: that when the potato is cooled to 2-5 degrees the production of oxygen will be slowed as the catalase in the potato will become less active due to the molecules getting less kinetic temperature from the heat.

Warm Potato: that when the potato is warmed but not heated over 35 degrees (due to high temperature will...

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...0k/docs/Catalase.html
Brief summary: This website explains what catalase are and where they can be found.

[2] Book –
Biosphere The Realm Of Life. Authors: Robert A. Wallace, Jack L.King , Gerald P.Sanders – 1998
Page 85 – The hotter catalase become the more denatured they become
Brief Summary: This source gives information telling the reader that when a catalase is heated it beyond 400 it will start to die and become unusable.

[3] Website - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/278760/hydrogen-peroxide Brief Summary: This article produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica helped further the understanding on what Hydrogen Peroxide is and what it is used for.
Reliability: The website is reliable but can still have wrong information as it is wrote by different people (before publishing someone’s update to the website it is verified to be true or false)

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