Enzymes: Natural Catalysts
Patrick McCrystal
Enzymes: Natural Catalysts
Enzymes are catalytic proteins, meaning they speed up chemical reactions without beingused up or altered permanently in the process. Although various enzymes use different methods,all accomplish catalysis by lowering the activation energy for the reaction, thus allowing it tooccur more easily. Enzymes have very specific shapes (conformations). Part of the conformationis the active site of the enzyme, where the actual catalysis occurs. The specific molecule or closely related molecules on which an enzyme functions is known as its substrate. Shape playssuch an important role in enzymatic catalysis that often even isomers of a substrate will berejected. Once the substrate enters the active site, it may begin a process known as induced fit inwhich the enzyme perfectly conforms to the molecule to allow for more efficient catalysis.Changes in environment can severely impact enzyme catalysis in both negative and positiveways. Each enzyme has specific ranges at which it optimally functions; in general, increasing thetemperature will help the reaction along, until the point at which the protein degrades anddenatures. Denatured proteins will often return to their original state, after the removal of thedenaturing agent, except when they are degraded multiple levels.
Methods:
1.Peel a fresh potato tuber and cut the tissue into small cubes.2.Weigh out 50 grams of tissue.3.Place the tissue, 50 mL of cold distilled water, and a small amount of crushed ice in a prechilled blender.4.Homogenize for 30 seconds at high speed.5.Filter the potato extract using cheesecloth.6.Pour the filtrate into a 100 mL graduated bylinder and add cold distilled water to bring upthe final volume to 100 mL.
7.
Label eight 50 mL beakers as follows: 100 units/mL, 80 units/mL, 75 units/mL, 60units/mL, 50 units/mL, 25 units/mL, 10 units/mL, 0 units/mL.
8.
Prepare 40 mL of enzyme for each of the above concentrations in the following ratio of
Enzymes: Natural Catalysts
Enzymes are catalytic proteins, meaning they speed up chemical reactions without beingused up or altered permanently in the process. Although various enzymes use different methods,all accomplish catalysis by lowering the activation energy for the reaction, thus allowing it tooccur more easily. Enzymes have very specific shapes (conformations). Part of the conformationis the active site of the enzyme, where the actual catalysis occurs. The specific molecule or closely related molecules on which an enzyme functions is known as its substrate. Shape playssuch an important role in enzymatic catalysis that often even isomers of a substrate will berejected. Once the substrate enters the active site, it may begin a process known as induced fit inwhich the enzyme perfectly conforms to the molecule to allow for more efficient catalysis.Changes in environment can severely impact enzyme catalysis in both negative and positiveways. Each enzyme has specific ranges at which it optimally functions; in general, increasing thetemperature will help the reaction along, until the point at which the protein degrades anddenatures. Denatured proteins will often return to their original state, after the removal of thedenaturing agent, except when they are degraded multiple levels.
Methods:
1.Peel a fresh potato tuber and cut the tissue into small cubes.2.Weigh out 50 grams of tissue.3.Place the tissue, 50 mL of cold distilled water, and a small amount of crushed ice in a prechilled blender.4.Homogenize for 30 seconds at high speed.5.Filter the potato extract using cheesecloth.6.Pour the filtrate into a 100 mL graduated bylinder and add cold distilled water to bring upthe final volume to 100 mL.
7.
Label eight 50 mL beakers as follows: 100 units/mL, 80 units/mL, 75 units/mL, 60units/mL, 50 units/mL, 25 units/mL, 10 units/mL, 0 units/mL.
8.
Prepare 40 mL of enzyme for each of the above concentrations in the following ratio of