Catalase Lab Report

There are many conditions of the environment that can affect the optimum operation of enzymes. These condition include temperature, enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, acidity, salinity, and any present activators/inhibitors. In this particular lab, temperature was the environmental factor studied. More specifically, the enzyme catalase and its substrate hydrogen peroxide were tested under different temperatures. It was discovered that, temperature can affect the optimum operation of enzymes; The enzyme catalase has an optimum operation condition (in this case it would be a specific temperature) in which the enzyme’s efficiency is at its highest. To achieve the data, six different pieces of beef liver (the source of catalase) were prepared at four distinct temperatures. Very high, very low, moderately low (room temperature) and moderately high (around body temperature). The temperatures were recorded. The beef liver (the source of catalase) is to be placed into a test tube
in cases of hypothermia and fevers). Usually, when such situations do appear, proteins/enzymes undergo a process called denaturation. When an enzyme experiences denaturation, it loses its structure. With the loss of structure, the enzyme ultimately loses its function as the substrate can no longer “fit” in the binding site. Of course, denaturation can only occur when an external factor is applied. In this lab experiment, this external factor is temperature/heat. In the trial of extremely high temperature, we see that the catalase ceases to function as it has gone through the process of denaturation. This experiment sheds some light on fevers. It explains why it seems that people get weaker when afflicted with a fever. The higher body temperature puts the person’s enzymes in a non optimal operation condition; thus, the enzymes are rendered