Introduction In this lab, we isolated mitochondria from cauliflower and measured the rate of the reaction catalyzed by succinate dehydrogenase. The reaction catalyzed by succinate dehydrogenase is the oxidation of succinate to fumarate and the reduction of FAD to FADH2. The purpose of this lab is to use mitochondrial fraction from the cauliflower cells in order to measure the activity rate of succinate dehydrogenase. This is all done by having the reaction measured by the overview of 2,6- dinitrophenolindopenol (DCIP), which is an artificial electron acceptor. The addition of sodium azide allowed a blockage of the electron transport system so coenzyme Q cannot be reduced by electrons. The complex of E-FADH2 is then transformed to DCIP with the help of electrons. The color change of the DCIP is shown once the DCIP is reduced, the electron acceptor is blue after it has become oxidized and shows no …show more content…
The powerhouse of the cell known as the mitochondria contains all machinery needed to provide the cell with energy in order to carry out different cellular processes. The TCA cycle which is in the matrix of the mitochondria allows pyruvate to be converted into acetyl-CoA, which is then transferred through a pathway where it is oxidized to CO2 and its energy is then conserved. The Succinate dehydrogenase is located in the inner membrane and is the only enzyme of the TCA cycle that is a part of the electron transport system. The metabolite succinate is oxidized to fumarate by the succianate dehydrogenase and its coenzyme FAD, which is represented by the complex E-FAD. It is then taken through the rest of the electron transport chain once the reduced coenzyme is transfers the electrons to coenzyme Q. Catabolism of organic molecules begins in the cytosol, but all reactions converge on the Krebs cycle, a cycle of eight reactions catalyzed by enzymes located in the matrix of