Enzymes

1. How does temperature affect enzyme function?

Every enzyme demonstrates maximum activity at a particular temperature known as its optimum temperature. Generally, all enzymes are inactivated at temperatures below 10°C and get denatured (lose its three-dimensional protein nature) above its optimum temperature (Seager & Slabaugh 2010).

Experiments conclude that enzyme activity increases by almost ten percent coupled to each degree rise in temperature until it reaches its optimum state and declines beyond it as they start denaturing (Seager & Slabaugh 2010).

2. Do plants and animals have an enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide? How could you test this?

The process of converting toxic hydrogen peroxide into harmless substances occurs at a very slow rate; therefore, both plants and animals have enzymes to catalyze it. Catalase is an enzyme that is present in animal cells; however, plants possess enzyme peroxidase to carry out this decomposition (Seager & Slabaugh 2010)....
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