The Effect Of Low PH On Enzyme Activity Design An Experiment ✓ Solved

The Effect of low pH on Enzyme Activity Design an experiment

This is the culminating lab assessment in BIOL 103. It is designed to assess your ability to apply the principles of the scientific method. Design an experiment in which you will test the effect of an acidic fluid on enzymatic activity. Recall: enzymes are proteins! To complete this project, it may be useful for you to first review the Scientific Method Tutorial, the OLI module about pH and enzymes, Lab 1 (Introduction to Science) and Lab 4 (Enzymes). As you review Lab 4, you will be reminded that there are several factors that impact enzymatic activity: pH, temperature, and amount of reagent. It is OK to use the same enzyme/substrate/method as you did in lab 4 (but modify the treatment) or you can search online to find a different enzyme/substrate/method for measuring enzyme activity for your project (include all references).

As you design your experiment for this project, please remember that you are trying to examine how an acidic fluid will modify the outcome of an enzymatic reaction. To successfully complete this project, you will need to identify the question(s) being asked in your experiment and the hypothesis that you are testing. In your experimental design, you must clearly explain what you are doing. That means that you will need to identify the enzyme, the substrate, the acidic fluid used as treatment, the control treatment and the method of measuring enzyme activity, as well as explain your experimental protocol. You must also thoroughly explain how the acidic fluid impacted enzyme activity based on the results from your own experiment as well as knowledge of enzymes and pH from the OLI modules, lab manual and potentially additional information sources.

Hint: Keep in mind that the acid will change the environmental conditions of the experiment (for example, a low pH value could change the shape of the active site on the enzyme protein), without directly participating in the reaction.

Lab Materials You may need all or some of the following, depending on your experimental design: Materials from your lab kit: pH paper, hydrogen peroxide solution (you can purchase this at a pharmacy if you have used up the bottle that came with the lab kit), plastic beakers or cups, vinegar, yeast (can be purchased at grocery store if more is needed), balloons, plastic bottle, marker for labeling of beakers, Cell phone/digital camera - pictures required. You may choose to use additional materials (different acidic fluids and/or different organisms and/or different substrate if you chose an enzyme other than catalase).

Outline: Include the following in your outline: Name of enzyme you will use, Name of organism (if applicable), The substrate, Method for measuring enzyme activity, Treatment: acidic fluid(s), pH, length of exposure, how you will treat your samples, The control(s) in the experiment, Sample size, Hypothesis, How you will present your data (table and/or type of graph), Anything else you would like to get feedback on before you start your experiment

Write a lab report that includes the following: 1. Title page: descriptive title, your name, course name, semester 2. Introduction: general background information about enzymes and specific information about your chosen enzyme, the question(s) that you are asking and a clear hypothesis for your experiment. 3. Design an experiment. Provide a detailed description of the materials and methods used to conduct the experiment. Identify control and experimental samples, as well as independent and dependent variables. Also include the methods used for data collection and analysis. 4. Conduct the experiment and record your results. Take pictures of results. What did you observe? Present your data in table and/or graph format. Remember to label everything and include the unit of measure with all numbers. 5. Use your knowledge of enzymes and pH to interpret and discuss your results. It may be necessary for you to refer to the OLI course modules, lab manual and/or use additional information resources. What effect does the acidic treatment have on enzyme activity? Did you get the expected results? Explain. 6. State a specific and accurate conclusion. Is your hypothesis supported by the results? Looking back, how could you have improved your experiment? 7. Include a list of references to all information sources used in APA format.

Avoid Plagiarism: It is very important to write with your own words. If you do copy one or two sentences directly (use sparingly), use quotation marks around the copied text, followed by an in-text reference. All information sources need to be included in the reference list and as in-text references. Plagiarism will be reported to the proper UMUC authority. Guidance on how to avoid plagiarism can be found here.

Submission: Submit your final applied lab project in the assignment folder by the due date specified in the course schedule.

Paper For Above Instructions

The scientific method is a systematic approach to inquiry that allows researchers to observe, test, and analyze data to answer specific questions. This project stems from that very framework and seeks to understand how a low pH fluid affects enzyme activity. Enzymes, as biocatalysts, are crucial in numerous biological processes, and their functionality is highly sensitive to changes in environmental conditions, particularly pH.

For this experiment, I will focus on the enzyme catalase, obtained from yeast, which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This reaction can be measured by collecting the volume of oxygen produced after treatment with acetic acid (vinegar) to lower the pH. The hypothesis guiding this study posits that the activity of catalase will decrease as the acidity of the environment increases. This hypothesis is grounded in the understanding of enzyme structure, where deviations from the optimal pH can lead to denaturation, altering the active site's shape.

To effectively test this hypothesis, I will prepare several concentrations of acetic acid, maintaining a control group with neutral pH (distilled water). Each sample will be treated with a consistent amount of hydrogen peroxide, and the volume of oxygen produced will be measured using inverted graduated cylinders over a fixed time period.

The experimental design outlined above corresponds to a systematic methodology to assess the hypothesis. I will begin by preparing ten test tubes with varying concentrations of acetic acid (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 M). Each test tube will then receive a 5 mL amount of hydrogen peroxide and a standardized volume of yeast extract (1 mL). The reaction will be allowed to proceed for five minutes, and the amount of oxygen produced will be recorded. Results will be tabulated, showing both the concentration of the acidic treatment and the corresponding volume of oxygen produced.

To analyze the data, a bar graph will be constructed to illustrate the relationship between the pH levels (independent variable) and the enzyme activity (dependent variable) measured by the volume of oxygen produced. This visual representation will aid in clearly identifying trends in the data collected which will further substantiate the conclusions drawn from the experiment.

Once the data is gathered and presented, I will delve into an analysis discussing the observed trends and interpreting their significance relative to my hypothesis. For instance, if the reaction rate diminishes at lower pH levels, it would indicate that the acidic environment negatively impacts catalase’s functionality, thus validating the prior hypothesis. Additionally, any deviations from the expected results will be explored, considering potential sources of error or uncontrolled variables that could have influenced the outcomes.

Ultimately, the conclusion will summarize the findings of the experiment while affirming or challenging the hypothesis. Suggestions for future experiments could involve testing different enzymes or varying substrates to deepen the understanding of how pH influences enzymatic reactions across the spectrum of biological processes.

The references utilized throughout this project will include academic journals, textbooks, and trusted online resources that provide foundational knowledge on enzyme activity, pH levels, and the scientific method's application in biological research. Proper citation will adhere to APA format to uphold academic integrity and provide credit where it is due.

References

• Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L., & Stryer, L. (2015). Biochemistry (8th ed.). W.H. Freeman and Company.
• Voet, D., & Voet, J. G. (2011). Biochemistry (4th ed.). Wiley.
• Nelson, D. L., & Cox, M. M. (2017). Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry (7th ed.). W.H. Freeman and Company.
• Garrett, R. H., & Grisham, C. M. (2017). Biochemistry (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Campbell, N. A., & Reece, J. B. (2017). Biology (11th ed.). Pearson.
• Karp, G. (2013). Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments (7th ed.). Wiley.
• Raven, P. H., & Johnson, G. B. (2016). Biology (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
• Moore, J. W. (2014). Chemistry: The Molecular Science (4th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Harris, D. C. (2015). Quantitative Chemical Analysis (9th ed.). W.H. Freeman and Company.
• PubChem. (2023). Hydrogen peroxide. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Hydrogen-peroxide