a. What are Enzymes Enzymes are very efficient protein based catalysts for biochemical reactions, which are essential to all living this to sustain life. Enzymes itself are not alive as they are proteins, however they are still made by living things and act as a catalyst to speed up the overall chemical reaction, asmost chemical reactions in biological cells would occur too slowly if it was not for these enzymes. Despite them making chemical reactions move quicker, they are not changed by the reaction. b. Optimal Enzyme Temperature There is a certain temperature at which an enzyme's catalytic activity works at its best and is at its greatest. This optimal temperature is usually around human body temperature (37.5 oC) for the enzymes in human …show more content…
Its purpose is to break down hydrogen peroxide as hydrogen peroxide is a waste product that is poisonous to cells. Found extensively in organisms that live in the presence of oxygen, catalase prevents the accumulation of and protects cellular organelles and tissues from damage by peroxide, which is continuously produced by numerous metabolic reactions. Its purpose is to break down hydrogen peroxide, which is a waste product in cellular activity and are poisonous to cells. If it were not for Catalase, the hydrogen peroxide will build up in the bodies and kill us. Catalase speeds up the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into harmless water and oxygen gas. Fortunately we have an enzyme in the cells in our bodies where hydrogen peroxide is produced called catalase. This enzyme catalyses the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into harmless water and oxygen. Our bodies make use of very many enzymes to catalyse specific reactions. We rely on them to keep our bodies …show more content…
This is an organelle in eukaryotes that rids the cells of toxic substances, so it contains a high concentration of catalase to speed up the breakdown of the toxic material. Catalase is a common enzyme present in most all living organisms and a very potent catalyst. Catalase converts the harmful byproduct of metabolism, Hydrogen Peroxide, into water and oxygen. It also oxidizes toxins in the body such as formaldehyde, alcohols, phenols and formic acid. Factors that Influence Enzyme Function There are several factors that affect the enzyme function as well as the rate at which the enzyme reactions proceed. Some factors include temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, and the presence of any inhibitors or activators. Temperature Temperature affects greatly as the temperature rises, reacting molecules have more and more kinetic energy. This increases the chances of a successful collision, thus the rate increases. This factor also have a certain optimal temperature. pH Each enzyme works within quite a small pH range. There is a pH at which its activity is greatest (the optimal pH). This is because changes in pH can make and break intra- and intermolecular bonds, changing the shape of the enzyme and, therefore, its effectiveness. Substrate