An Investigation To Show the Effect of Changing the Temperature Upon the Rate of Reaction Controlled By the Enzyme Lipase

Have a little read: ... AN INVESTIGATION TO SHOW THE EFFECT OF CHANGING THE TEMPERATURE UPON THE RATE OF REACTION CONTROLLED BY THE ENZYME LIPASE The Problem - Investigate the effect of changing the temperature upon the rate of reaction controlled by the enzyme lipase. I am trying to find out the optimum temperature at which the rate of reaction will be highest. Introduction: What is an enzyme? Within any living organism, chemical reactions take place all the time. They are sometimes called metabolic reactions. Enzymes control almost every metabolic reaction. Enzymes change substrates into products. In this experiment, the enzyme is lipase and the substrates are fats and lipids. What effect does heat have on enzymes? - On previous investigations on enzymes changing the temperature effected the rate of reaction. The more common enzymes work best at around 40?C. as this is around body temperature. This is their optimum temperature. If this temperature begins to rise the reactions slow down, this will continue to happen until the enzyme is denatured. It becomes denatured at around 60?C. This happens because the enzyme becomes misshapen. This means that the enzyme will no longer work because it will no longer fit. The active site will be ruined. The enzymes react like a lock and key, only one lock fits the key. When the two join then you get the chemical reaction. When too much heat gets applied then the lock gets changed and so the key doesn't fit the lock so there is no reaction. What are catalysts? -Substances called catalysts can speed up many chemical reactions. A catalyst alters the rate of a chemical reaction, without being changed itself. The Properties of Enzymes- * All enzymes are proteins. They have molecules with a very precise three-dimensional shape, containing an active site. * Enzymes are catalysts. They are unchanged by the reaction they catalyse. Each enzyme molecule can be used over and over again. This means that small amounts of enzyme can catalyse the conversion of a lot of substrate into a lot of product. * High temperatures make enzymes inactive. This is because they are proteins that are damaged by temperatures above about 40?C. * Enzymes work best at particular pH. Most enzymes work best at a pH of about 7. This is also because they are proteins, which are damaged by very acid or very alkaline conditions. * Enzymes are specific Each enzyme can only convert one kind of substrate molecule into one kind of product molecule.