BIOLOGY

INVESTIGATORY

PROJECT

TOPIC: ENZYMATIC
REACTIONS

SAYAN MUKHERJEE
XII – F

2023-2024
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am overwhelmed in humbleness and gratefulness to
acknowledge my depth to all those who have helped me to put
these ideas together well and without whom this project would
not have been reality.
Firstly, I would like to express my special thanks to the principal
Mrs.SHAILA and school for providing me this opportunity to do
the project. I am highly indebted to our biology HOD and
Biology teacher Mrs. GAJALAKSHMI for her valuable guidance
in completing my project.
Any attempt at any level can’t be satisfactory completed
without the support and guidance of my parents and friends. I
would like to extend my gratitude to my parents and friends
who helped me a lot in gathering information, collecting data
and guiding me from time to time in making this project
unique.
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SYNOPSIS

INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVE
MATERIALS REQUIRED
PROCEDURE
OBSERVATION
RESULT
CONCLUSION
PRECAUTION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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INTRO
 Enzymes are biological catalysts that play an important role
DUCTI
in biochemical processes in living organisms.
 In this project we are going to use an enzyme called
“catalase” .thatON
helps to convert hydrogen peroxide to
water and oxygen .It is present in the liver of the humans as
well as in every plant and most microorganisms .It helps to
protect the cells of an organism from harmful effects of
hydrogen peroxide as it is highly toxic in nature.

CATALASE ENZYME

 In this project by using catalase enzyme we are going to

determine the biochemical change in its nature under the
following artificial conditions.
 Varying pH
 Different temperature conditions
 Change in concentration of substrate.
 By systematically studying the change in following
conditions, we can get valuable insights on the factors that
influence the ENZYMATIC REACTIONS.
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The conditions under which an enzyme operates can greatly

influence its activity.
some factors that affect enzymatic reactions are:
Temperature: Enzymes have an optimal temperature at which
they exhibit maximum activity. Increasing the temperature
enhances the reaction rate until the enzyme denatures.

PH: Enzymes
also have an
optimal pH at which they function most efficiently. Altering the
pH can affect the enzyme’s activity. Change in pH affects the
activity of the enzyme a huge difference de natures it and hence
no reaction takes place.
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Substrate concentration: The concentration of substrate

molecules affects the rate of an enzymatic reaction. Increasing
the substrate concentration increases the reaction rate until a
saturation point is reached. Where all enzyme active sites are
occupied. This slows the reaction. Whereas in case of less
concentration the reaction becomes slower as there are less
chances of substrate binding with the enzyme
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OBJECTIVE
To analyze the factors (temperature, pH,
concentration of substrate) that affects the
rate of reaction of an enzyme found in
potatoes.

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MATE
RIALS
 Catalase enzyme from potatoes

REQU
 Hydrogen peroxide
 Test
IRED
tubes
 Citric acid
 Sodium hydrogen Hydrogen peroxide

carbonate
 pH indicator
 liquid soap
TEST TUBES WITH
STAND

SAFETY GLOVES STOPWATCH

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PROC
EDUR
 Take a potato and peel it, cut it to small pieces. Make sure
that the potato is fresh. This potato will be the source of
catalase enzyme.
E and label them as A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
 Clean the test tubes
 In test tube A Pour 2 ml of hydrogen peroxide.
 In test tube B pour 3 ml of h202 and 2 ml of citric acid.
Make sure that the solution is acidic using ph indicator.
 In test tube C pour 3 ml of h2o2 along with 2 ml of sodium
hydrogen carbonate (baking soda) make sure that the
solution is basic using ph indicator.
 In test tube D pour 2 ml of h2o2.
 In test tube E pour 2ml of h2o2 along with 3 ml water.
 In test tube F pour 2 ml of h202, keep the test tube in a
beaker having ice cubes.
 In test tube G pour 2 ml of h2o2, keep the test tube in a
beaker containing hot water.
 Add one piece of potato in all test tubes; add some liquid
soap in all test tubes to make clear observations.
 Keep these test tubes aside for 10 minutes and make
observations
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POURING DISH SOAP ADDING HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

ADDING CUT PIECES OF POTATO

OBSER
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TEST TUBE A:
 After keeping it aside for 10 minutes we can see bubbles
formed which is clearly visible as we added liquid soap.
 The amount of foam is comparatively more than other test
tubes as the enzyme has worked to its full efficiency as the
conditions were normal.

Test tube A
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TEST TUBE B AND C:

 In test tube B we added citric acid that was extracted from
lemons; in test tube c we added sodium hydrogen carbonate.
Due to this the ph of the solution changed.
 As there was change in the ph of the solution of A, B the
enzyme had stopped its reaction.
 Which is why there is no bubbles observed in test tube B and
C.

Test tube B Test tube C

TEST TUBE D AND E:

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 In test tube D and E there was a change in

concentration of the substrate that is hydrogen
peroxide.
 Test tube D had only 2 ml of h2o2 whereas test tube E
had 2 ml of h202 along with 3 ml of water.
 Therefore after 10 minutes there was difference in the
amount of bubbles formed in both the test tubes. test
tube D had more bubbles as compared to E.

Test tube D Test tube E

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TEST TUBE F AND G:

 In test tube F and G there was a change in temperature at
which the reaction took place.
 Test tube F was kept immersed in ice cold water( at an
temperature of 8°C).
And test tube G was kept in hot water.( at an temperature
of 92°C).
 This change in temperature affected the enzymatic
reaction.
 In test tube F the reaction took place but was very slow
similar to that of E.But more bubbles was formed in test
tube G. Although it was less than A.

Test tube F Test tube G

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Rate of reactions under various physical conditions

TEST CONDITION RATE OF

TUBE REACTION
A NORMAL NORMAL

B ACIDIC MEDIUM NO REACTION

C BASIC MEDIUM NO REACTION

D HIGH FAST
CONCENTRATION OF
SUBSTRATE

E LOW SLOW
CONCENTRATION OF
SUBSTRATE
F LOW TEMPERATURE SLOW

G HIGH TEMPERATURE ALMOST

NORMAL
Tabular representation of observation
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TEST TUBES KEPT ASIDE FOR 10 MINUTES

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
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RES
The projects findings showcases the catalytic efficiency of

ULT
enzymes under various conditions .this investigatory project
helps us understand how various physical conditions such as
temperature ,pH etc. affect the functions, nature ,efficiency of a
catalase enzyme that is found in potatoes.
In this project we used “catalase” enzyme to record our
observations and concluded that this enzyme works only at a
particular pH and at a particular temperature if the conditions
are changed then the rate of reaction reduces or no reaction
takes place.
The obtained data helps us to improve our understanding of the
necessary conditions required for an enzyme to work
efficiently .It also helps us understand the crucial role of
enzymes in biochemical reactions.

(A) (B)
REACTION TAKES PLACE ONLY IN SUITABLE CONDITION (a) AND NO
REACTION TAKES PLACE WHEN CONDITIONS ARE CHANGED (b)
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CON
CLU
In conclusion, the study of enzymatic reactions has provided
valuable insight into the biochemical reactions that are
catalyzed by enzymes. Enzyme plays an essential role in

SIO
speeding up chemical reaction making them very essential for
physiological processes including metabolism, digestion etc. this
project helped us get an understanding of its working conditions

N
and rates of reaction of the catalase enzyme that plays a major
role in potatoes, it helps protect the plant’s cells from damage
by removing harmful hydrogen peroxide.
Furthermore by this project we got to know that why various
irregularities arise due to poor maintenance of conditions for
proper enzymatic reaction in potatoes. If catalase is inactive,
hydrogen peroxide may accumulate within the potato cells. This
can lead to oxidative stress and damage to cellular components,
including proteins, lipids, and DNA.
Thus this investigatory project underscored vital role that
enzymatic reactions play in enzymatic reactions .As we continue
to expand our knowledge in this field , we can discover the
endless potential of enzymes , best working conditions for them
to improve society and betterment and advancement of
scientific understanding.
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PRECAUTIONS
 Adhere to proper laboratory safety protocols, including
wearing appropriate personal protective equipment such as
gloves.
 Make sure to take recording after 5-10 minutes in order to
give enough time for the enzyme to complete the reactions
for accurate observations
 The test tubes should be cleaned properly before
conducting the experiment.
 Potato pieces should be fresh in order for maximum
efficiency of the enzyme.

WEARING SAFETY EQUIPMENT WASHING TEST TUBES BEFORE

USING
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BIBLIO
GRAP
THE FOLLOWING SOURCES WERE USED AS A REFERENCE FOR COMPLETING
THIS PROJECT:

CONTENT:
 https://www.biochemistryworld.com/enzymes-
functions
 https://www.scienceinsights.com
 https://www.researchgate.net
 https://biochemical-pathways.com
 https://www.enzyme-database.org/

PICTURES:
 https://pixabay.com/
 https://www.shutterstock.com/