BIOLOGY 1107

ENZYMES LAB
 ENZYMES LAB

Reactions in biological
systems require catalysts
named enzymes to increase
reaction rates

Enzymes are proteins and RNAs that lower the

activation energy required for a reaction to start

An enzymatic reaction requires a substrate, reactants

and products and the enzyme itself
 SPECIFICITY

In general, enzymes are highly

conserved molecules

However, there are special

characteristics and modes of
action that are unique to
different organisms

The rate of an enzymatic

reaction is affected by the
environmental conditions
surrounding the reaction
 FACTORS AFFECTING ENZYMATIC REACTIONS

Enzyme lab activities:

1) Predict the Factors that

affect Enzymatic Reaction
Rates

2) Measure the activity of an

enzyme: Albumin
degradation by the action
of pepsin
Albumin degradation by the action of pepsin
 ALBUMIN

The most abundant protein

in egg white is albumin.

Albumin has important

nutritional functions in the
egg

This protein has been used

in the past in medicine to
treat heavy metal
intoxication
 PEPSIN

One of the most important

degrading enzymes in the
stomach is called pepsin

This protein was the first

enzyme to be discovered
and degrades food very
efficiently under the acidic
conditions of the stomach
 ALBUMIN DEGRADATION BY THE ACTION OF PEPSIN

In this lab you will measure the degradation of

albumin by the action of pepsin

The degradation will occur under different pH

conditions
 SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

The spectrophotometer is an
instrument used to detect
color changes

The spectrophotometer is
similar to a prism: it divides
white light into different
wavelengths
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

The spectrophotometer measures the

amount of light that is absorbed or
transmitted through a glass tube
containing the products and reactants
of a chemical reaction

The light that us absorbed or transmitted

is proportional to the amount of
product that is being formed

First “zero” your spectrophotometer

using a blank
 Reaction Mixtures for Albumin
degradation experiment

Sodium
Water (ml)
Tube Albumin (ml) Pepsin (ml) Bicarbonate Acetic Acid (ml)
(ml)

1 2 0 0 0
2

1
2 2 1 0 0

0
3 2 1 1 0

0
4 2 1 0 1