Factors that Affect the Rate of Enzyme Catalysis

Factors that Affect the Rate of Enzyme Catalysis

Enzymes exist in all living things. They are composed of polymers of

amino acids and are produced in living cells. Each cell contains

several hundred enzymes, which catalyse a vast number of chemical

reactions. Enzymes are known as Biological Catalysts as they

dramatically increase the rate at which reactions occur within living

organisms, without being 'used up' or effecting the reaction in any

other way. Enzymes catalysis saves the need for an increase in

temperature in order to speed up reactions within living things. Such

an increase in temperature would be lethal to the organism.

In this investigation I intend to explore the one of the factors that

effect the rate of enzyme catalysis. My research from textbooks and

the Internet suggests that this depends on several factors;

temperature, pressure, pH and concentration. After research and

careful consideration, I have decided to first look at how a change in

temperature could affect the rate of reaction.

In order to design a suitable experiment and make a credible

prediction, I must first explore more closely how temperature is

likely to affect the rate of catalysis. Enzymes are specific - they

only control one type of reaction; therefore I must use one specific

enzyme in my experiment, in order to find a clear way of measuring the

rate of reaction. Although they are specific, all enzymes work in a

very similar way and have similar properties. They are all globular

proteins and are all biological catalysts, they increase the rate of a

given reaction without being used up and their presence does not

change the nature of the re...

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...e was a success, but it could be improved by

the use of more accurate equipment and better organisation. Several

assumptions had to be made in this experiment. When such assumptions

are made, further work needs to be carried out to check these

assumptions. I had to assume that all enzymes worked in the same way,

but further work could be done with different enzymes and reactions to

check this. Through the experiment, I measured the rate of reaction at

10degrees intervals. I think that further work should be done between

30degrees and 40degrees in an attempt to find the exact optimum

temperature for the enzyme catalyse. Work between these temperatures

would allow me to plot a more accurate graph and explain the apparent

slowing in the increase of the rate of reaction between these two

temperatures in my current results.