If the temperature is too hot or if the pH is not at the optimal value, the enzymes will begin to break down and they won’t work anymore. This process is called denaturing. The question “How does substrate concentration and pH affect enzyme function” was posed to the students. We then hypothesized that there will be an optimal condition for where the enzyme would work best, and outside these conditions the functioning of the enzyme would be lower. I predict that 3% H2O2 will be the in the optimal zone for substrate concentration, and that pH5 will also be in the optimal zone. We then proceeded to follow the method described in our lab manual Fundamentals of Life Science. The lab manual describes the method as obtaining the extract and testing it in a spectrophotometer with different amounts of pH and enzyme. Then testing it against temperature by boiling the substance. Finally testing the extract with different amounts of substrate concentration and comparing all of the different results together (Leady 2015). Three experiments were conducted total, and the data fort these three experiments are shown in tables 2, 6, and 8. These numbers are expressed in graphics in sheet …show more content…
We believed that it was in direct correlation to whether it is in the optimal zone or not. I predicted that if 3% H2O2 and pH5 were used, it would optimize the work done by the enzyme. Our hypothesis was correct. If the pH is within the optimal value and if the concentration was as well, enzyme function would be at its peek. The concentration of the substrate that was the optimal condition for enzyme activity was as predicted, the 3% H2O2. This increased the activity of the enzyme relative to the other concentrations by at least 0.0028. Another experiment got results close to ours, their concentration was at a two while ours was at three for the optimal conditions (Result Filters). The concentration with the lowest activity rate of the enzyme was 12% H2O2. Unlike our results, the highest concentration used in another experiment was the one that increased the activity of the enzyme the most; while ours was the second to lowest concentration (Kareska). This concentration was way too high and hindered the enzyme to the point of doing hardly anything. The pH level with the highest enzyme activity was also as predicted- pH5. This increased the activity rate less than the concentration of substrate did; it only raised it relative to the other trials by 0.0008, although that is still an increase. In another experiment done with horseradish it was found that pH4.2 was the optimal condition, which is quite close to our