Conclusion -part A
Part A was just a beginning. The experiment showed us what a normal catalase reaction really is. We had one basic procedure; observe what happens when you add hydrogen peroxide to beef liver. At first we were just amazed by the bubbling product, we did not realize that a chemical reaction was going on. We had to redo the experiment so we could note that heat was being released as well as a combination of harmless gasses. We timed the reaction and learned to estimate the reaction rates by the time. We descovered that the bubbles were actually two main gasses, 2H2O and O2. They were being released due to the break down of a harmful gas H2O2. Another experiment we did was testing if catalase was reusable. We discovered that it was, in fact, reusable. The basics of a normal catalase reaction is what we learned about part A. Everything kept growing more and more into depth with our experiments as we went on during our lab.
conclusion -part b
During part B we experimented with three different types of tissues. We used apple, potato, and chicken liver to prove that not only beef liver contains catalase. The group conducted three experiments: one contained potato and H2O2, another had apple and H2O2, and the last had chicken liver and H2O2. We added 2mL of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to all three test tubes. The bubbling effect proved that all three had catalase in them. We realized that the more the substance bubbled the more catalase it contained, and that the less it bubbled, the less catalase there was. We also rated the reactions by the speed of the reaction in seconds, like we learned in part A.
conclusion -part c
Everything we learned in part C, was the effect of temperature on catalase activity. We made different predictions for each water bath. One cold, one warm, and one boiling hot. Having 3 different environments for the enzymes, really affected the catalase reaction. Having the molecules cold, allows them to slow the reaction down. Having the warmth allows them to be at a neutral pace. But having them boiling, the molecules are on hold. They almost disappear in a sense. They can easily grow back, but for now they are boiled away. In the end, we learned how temperature plays a role in catalase activity and how drastic it can get. Temperature truly does have a huge role in determining the activity of catalase.
conclusion -part D
In part D, we were learning all the effects of pH on catalase activity. Having a different amount of buffers in a solution can change the pH instantly. It can go up on the scale, or drop on the scale. We used 3 kind of buffers in our experiments. They were NaOH, HCL, and water. We couldn't see the change with our own eyes, so we needed to put pH strips in it to see. We all realized that a different amount of buffer in each test tube can change the pH by a different amount. The tubes with 10 drops of NaOH and HCL were just a tiny bit darker compared to the tubes with 3 drops of NaOH and HCL. If we were to add more than 10 drops, let's say 20, we would see a more drastic change compared to 3 drops. Depending on the amount of a buffer, will depend on the pH of catalase activity. We learned that pH can interfere with catalase activity, but we also learned that if we didn't have buffers, we wouldn't be able to maintain our internal environment.
What we learned throughout the lab
As a team, we realized what enzymes really are. Coming into this project, none of us really knew how they acted, worked, or looked like. We learned that they give off heat, they aren't reusable, and can be denatured by temperature or pH. By working together, we were able to talk about what we thought and learn from each other. Together we learned what it means to be exergonic (giving off heat). We learned that reactant + reactant = product, just like in math when you start off with 5 apples and you add 3, your final product = 8 apples. That applies when you add liver + hydrogen peroxide = (H2O2+O2) which is water and oxygen, the gas that is being released. And most of all, we tied all of everything we learned in this lesson into one; pH values, catalysts, enzymes, homeostasis, temperature, and bonds between atoms. We found out how everything works together as one and how one will work with others to make everything.