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Enzymes Science Fair Project

Peroxidase Activity Across Temperatures

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Peroxidase Activity Across Temperatures | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
What happens to the enzyme peroxidase when you heat it past its comfort zone? Peroxidase is a protein in potatoes that breaks down hydrogen peroxide. When it works, it releases oxygen bubbles you can count. You place small potato cubes and hydrogen peroxide at eight temperatures from 15 to 85 degrees Celsius. After the potato enters the test tube, you count the bubbles produced in 20 seconds. Bubbles appear at temperatures up to 55 degrees. Above 65 degrees, no bubbles form at all. The enzyme stops working because the heat changes its shape permanently.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that the peroxidase enzyme will become ineffective as a catalyst at high temperatures.

Method & Materials

You will cut a potato into small cubes, mark 8 beakers and test tubes, fill the beakers with water and adjust the temperature, add hydrogen peroxide to the test tubes, put the potato cubes into the beakers, and measure the number of bubbles formed in the test tubes.
You will need a potato, 7 beakers, 7 test tubes, a hot plate, a packet of ice, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a stopwatch, a thermometer, and a marker pen.

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Results

The experiment showed that bubbles were formed in test tubes 1 to 5, but no bubbles were formed in test tubes 6, 7, and 8. This proves that the hypothesis is true, and that the enzyme peroxidase becomes ineffective as a catalyst at high temperatures.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it explores how temperature affects the peroxidase enzyme, which is an important enzyme found in almost all living organisms. It helps to convert hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, which is essential for cell health.

Also Consider

Variations of this experiment could include using different amounts of hydrogen peroxide in the test tubes, or using animal liver tissue instead of potato.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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