Enzyme Lab (Ayla)

Hypothesis:

If temperature affects enzyme productivity, then the rate of reaction will increase as they near normal room temperature.  When the enzymes reach over 20 degrees Celsius, their rate of production will drop exponentially.

Independent Variable:

temperature

Dependent Variable:

rate of reaction

Controlled Variables:

type/amount of water

protein source

Justification of hypothesis:

From prior knowledge, I know that enzymes react differently in varying temperatures.  As the temperature increases, enzyme productivity skyrockets, until it passes the optimum temperature.  If the temperature strays too far from the ideal temperature, the rate of reaction decreases exponentially.

Materials:

• digital scale

• one handful of picked bindweed with leaves (5 to 10 grams)

• mortar and pestle

• distilled water

• three 100-liter beakers

• 1mL syringe

• hydrogen peroxide

• two warm water baths

• 10 glass test tubes

• test tube rack

• ice

• 2 large plastic beaker

• thermometer

• plastic ruler

Procedure:

We are going to test the effects of temperatures on enzymes.  One tub of water will be at 50 degrees Celsius, 40 degrees Celsius, 20 degrees, and 3 degrees Celsius.

Steps:

1. Set up the three different baths of water all set at different temperatures, 50 degrees Celsius, 40 degrees Celsius, and 3 degrees Celsius.  Also set aside a space at your lab station to perform a control experiment at room temperature

2. Collect fresh bindweed leaves

3. Grind up the leaves with a mortar and pestle and add 55mL of water until it reaches a soupy consistency and you obtain 60mL of the extract

4. Fill up four test tubes with 2mL of extract and put each one in a separate water bath of the different temperatures

5. Also, fill up three different test tubes with of 3mL hydrogen peroxide

6. Take one of the two types of test tubes and perform the control experiment by holding a ruler up the the extract filled test tube. Have a piece of paper and pen to record your results and a stop watch ready.  Pour the hydrogen peroxide into the bindweed extract.  Every five seconds, record the height of the bubbles until 30 seconds have passed.

7. Now, put the remaining test tubes in the different water baths for about two minutes and perform the experiment for the rest of the test tubes.  Make sure to perform it quickly since the solution with heat up or cool down rapidly.

8. Repeat the process above for the remaining test tubes

Data and Results:

T= Time in seconds

H= Height in centimeters

20°c 50°c 40°c   3°c

T    H T    H T    H T    H

0 : 6.1 0 : 6.1 0 : 6.1 0 : 6.1

5 : 6.1 5 : 6.1 5 : 6.1 5 : 6.1

10 : 6.2 10 : 6.2 10 : 6.2 10 : 6.1

15 : 6.3 15 : 6.2 15 : 6.4 15 : 6.1

20 : 6.6 20 : 6.3 20 : 6.5 20 : 6.1

25 : 6.8 25 : 6.3 25 : 6.5 25 : 6.2

30 : 6.8 30 : 6.4 30 : 6.5 30 : 6.2

Conclusions:

Our hypothesis was proven correct after analyzing our results.  As the temperature neared room temperature, the enzymes worked faster and more productively.  Although, as the temperature got too cold the enzymes worked very slowly if at all. Our hypothesis was correct although to completely verify this, we would have to conduct more experiment at different temperatures.