FHSB1214

BIOLOGY I
FOUNDATION
IN SCIENCE

Biology Laboratory Report

Name

Student ID

Practical Group
Date
Title of Report

Lecturers name

Investigation of the Enzymatic Effects of Materials on Hydrogen

Peroxide Solution

Content

Description of content

Marks

Title

What you did?

Objectives

What is supposed to be accomplished through this experiment?

Apparatus

List of things used in this experiment

1.
2.

Describes the process in chronological order

Includes all the information necessary to carry out the

3.

experiment
May include diagrams / images to illustrate the apparatus

4.

used & how it was set up

Should be written as a description of what you did, not as

Materials
Procedures

a set of instructions
Results

Table 1 describe the effervescence, bulging of parafilm, colour

12

of solution, flame
Discussion

1.

The first paragraph with One to three sentences to

2.

introduce what had been done

A brief explanation of concept used in the experiment

3.

Explain how the result demonstrated these principles. Use

(Maximum 2
pages)

17

the important data and results (Table) to demonstrate these

4.

principles.
Explain how the independent variables affected the
dependent variables, you may use equations provided and

5.

show the dependent/independent variables.

Sources of error are offered that are consistent with the

6.

experimental results.
You may offer a suggestion for improving the experiment,
but it must focus on the most prominent error and be

7.
8.

consistent with the sources of errors.

Precautions/errors
Citation

Conclusions

Make at least 2 conclusions for this experiment

References

Must have at least 3 references from book, journal or scientific

article in APA style

Others

Format / Neatness

Total

1
40

Plagiarism &

Plagiarism among students

Formatting

Format (softcopy, file name), font etc.

-10

Title:
Investigation of the enzymatic effects of materials on hydrogen peroxide
solution.
Objective:
To investigate the enzymatic effects of materials on hydrogen peroxide
solution.
Apparatus:
Beaker,boiling tubes,water bath(95C),wooden splinter,glass rod.
Materials:
Fresh liver,manganese dioxide,potato cubes,hydrogen peroxide.
Procedure:
1. Six fresh empty boiling tubes was labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
2. The provided liver was cut into 3 pieces of roughly 0.8cm x 0.8cm x 0.5cm
by using a blade.
3. One piece of liver is placed into tube 1.
4. Second piece of liver is placed into the bottom of tube 2. Tube 2 is placed in
the boiling or water bath (95C) until the liver is cooked.
5. The third piece of liver is placed into tube 3. The liver was mashed gently into a pulp using a
glass rod.
6. Two 0.5g portions of manganese dioxide powder was each measured out onto a weighing boat
by using the weighing balance. Each portion was poured into tube 5 and tube 6.
7. Tube 6 was placed in the water bath (95C) for five minutes.
8. Tube 2 and 6 was let cool after five minutes.
9. Potato cubes was cut of roughly 0.8cm x 0.8cm x 0.5cm. One cube was placed into a tube 4.
10. Another six fresh empty test tubes was prepared. 5cm 3 of hydrogen peroxide was put

into each of them.

11. Next, hydrogen peroxide was quickly added into the test tubes 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, and 6.
12. The mouth of the test tubes are sealed using the parafilm provided by
stretching the film over it quickly and leave for 20 minutes.
13. A glowing wooden splinter was inserted into each tube by just penetrating
the parafilm with it.
14. Observations on each test tube was record immediately after the reaction
has started.

Results:

Test
Tube

Contents with 5 cm3

of hydrogen
peroxide

Before using wooden splinter After using wooden splinter

1.

Fresh liver

Bubbles are produced.

A pop sound is produced.

Wooden splint ignites with
an orange flame. White
fumes is produced.

2.

Boiled liver (cooled)

Small amount of bubbles

are produced.

Wooden splint remains the

same.

3.

Pulped liver

High amount of bubbles are

produced. The liver residue
was floating on the gas
bubbles.

A pop sound is produced.

Wooden splint ignites with
a yellow flame. White
fumes is produced.

4.

Potato cubes

Bubbles are produced.

Wooden splint remains the

same.

5.

Manganese dioxide
(untreated)

Effervescence occurs.

A pop sound is produced.

Wooden splint ignites with
bright yellow flame. White
fumes were produced.

6.

Boiled Manganese
dioxide (cooled after
heating )

Effervescence occurs.

A pop sound is produced.

Wooden splint ignites with
a bright red flame. White
fumes were produced.

Discussion:

Observations

Enzyme is a biological catalysts that speed up biological reaction by lowering the activation
energy needed for a reaction to begin. Enzyme increase the rate of reaction without being
consumed by the reaction.

Catalase is the common enzyme

found in nearly all living organisms
exposed to oxygen such as bacteria, plants, and animals. It catalyzes the
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen which can be
shown in the equation : 2H2O22H2O + O2 .
The plant organelle involved in the experiment is amyloplasts. The animal organelle involved in
the experiment is peroxisomes.
When the liver had been pulped, the reaction was more vigorous due to the increased surface
area for the enzyme to act on. Pulping of liver decreases the size of the liver. The smaller the size
of particle, the higher the total surface area exposed for the reaction. Therefore, the rate of reaction
is higher. This is because smaller particle required less energy than larger particle to break down
molecules.
Boiling of liver will increase the temperature of liver. The increase of temperature will lead to the
break down of bond and the structure of the enzyme. The enzyme experienced denaturation due to
the high temperature. This can be explained as enzyme is a protein that is held by weak bond.
Under high temperature, the bond held between the enzyme molecule will break down and thus
the structure and surface configurations including active site are altered. Due to denaturation, there
is no catalysis takes place because the enzyme lost its ability to bind with other substrate as the
substrate is no longer complement to its active site. Thus, the boiling of liver produced less result.
The fresh liver produced more gas bubbles than potato. This is because liver contain more
catalase than potato. Liver contains more catalase because it detoxifies substance in the body. The
higher the amount the catalase, the lower the activation energy for the reaction. Therefore, the rate
of reaction is higher. Potato contains less catalase because the catalase in potato are only for
prevent the oxidation of starch. The lower the amount of catalase, the higher the activation energy
for the reaction. Therefore, the rate of reaction is lower.
Heating of manganese dioxide produce a greater reaction than boiling the liver. Boiling of liver
will cause the enzyme to become denatured due to the destroy of enzyme structure under high
temperature. This causes the enzyme to lost its catalytic function as the active site of the enzyme is
no longer complementary to bind with the substrate. However, heating of manganese dioxide will
only have little effect on its activity as manganese dioxide is an inorganic catalyst. Therefore,
manganese dioxide will not be affected by high temperature and are able to hydrolyse hydrogen
peroxide.
Several errors could have occurred throughout the experiment. For example, parallex error may
have occurred during the measurement of the hydrogen peroxide. This can be avoided by make
sure that the solution level is at the meniscus level.

Conclusion:
Catalase increase the rate of reaction for the decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide into water and oxygen.
Different catalase concentration will affect the rate of reaction. The higher the
amount of catalase used, the higher the amount of bubbles produced, the
higher the rate or decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
Moreover, the temperature of the catalase will also affect the the enzyme
activity. At high temperature, enzyme denaturated and loses its catalytic
function.

References:
"Hydrogen Peroxide Breakdown in Liver vs. Potato." (2016). Retrieved from

http://schoolworkhelper.net/hydrogen-peroxide-breakdown-liver-vs-potato/.
"Hydrogen Peroxide Breakdown in Liver vs. Potato." (2016). Retrieved from

http://schoolworkhelper.net/hydrogen-peroxide-breakdown-liver-vs-potato/.
Boon, E. M., & Aaron Downs, D. M. (1997-2008). Biology.kenyon.edu.

Retrieved from Catalase H2o2 : H2o2 Oxireductase:

http://biology.kenyon.edu/BMB/Chime/catalase/frames/cattx.htm

Citation:
Boon, E. M., & Aaron Downs, D. M. (1997-2008)