Introduction & Hypothesis:
Enzymes are important for every living organism, because they are the reason that reactions occur. Although most reactions would take place without enzymes, enzymes allow these chemical reactions to happen at a much faster rate, therefore making cells more efficient (Reece, 2011). Enzymes are catalysts, and almost always proteins, that speed up the rates of reactions by lowering the activation energy without being consumed in the reaction (Helms, 1998). Throughout this experiment, four procedures will be performed to indicate the factors that alter the functioning of enzymes, and the importance that these factors are to be in correct levels in order for a cell to function properly.
Proteins are macromolecules with unique polypeptide chains that make up their structure (Reece, 2011). The functions of proteins are dependent on their structure, and since enzymes are almost always proteins, the structure of the enzyme is very important for the enzyme to function. However, there are factors that can disrupt the structures of enzymes. These can be environmental factors such as temperature and pH, or they can be concentration changes, such as an increase or decrease in enzyme or substrate concentration (Eed, 2013).
Temperature is an environmental factor that can alter enzyme activity (Reece, 2011). An increase in the kinetic energy of a solution results in an increase in temperature (Reece, 2011). As the temperature increases, the molecules in the solution move faster, resulting in an increased number of collisions between enzymes and substrates. This will speed up the rate of reaction because enzymes and substrates bind together. But if the temperature is too high, this can denature, or disrupt the structure, of the enzyme (Eed, 2013). pH is another environmental factor that can effect enzyme activity (Reece, 2011). A pH too high or