What conditions are the most favourable for enzyme function?
Conditions
pH: Enzymes have a specific optimal pH range. The further an enzyme is to be from its optimal pH range, the least effective it will be due to the change of shape in its active site
Temperature: All enzymes have specific temperatures where they function optimally, thus determining the rate of enzyme activity. If the temperature was too high above its optimal temperature, it will lead to denaturing of the enzyme. The lower the temperature below optimal temperature, the lower the rate of reaction will be.
Enzyme/substrate concentration
Dilution (water:enzyme/substrate ratio)
100% concentration
50% concentration
0% concentration
Functioning range: 5-9 pH
Denature at 60°C
Optimal functioning temperature: 37°C
Rate of reaction decreases 40°C
Test variables: 30°C, 40°C, 50°C and 60°C
Type of enzyme
Protease
Amylase
Pectinase
Lipase
Pectin (e.g. jam, jellies, berries, processed tomato
Proteins (e.g. blood, egg, gravy, sweat, chocolate, grass stains)
Fats, oils and lipids (e.g. hamburger grease, butter, lipstick)
Starch (e.g. potato, oatmeal)
Measure for effectiveness
Spectrophotometer:
measures the amount of photons absorbed after it passes through sample, allowing the concentration of remaining substrate to be determined by measuring the intensity of light detected. (Phillips, 2020)
Oxygen:
Measure amount of oxygen produced during reaction. The more oxygen produced, the more enzyme activity. (Lamar, 2017)
Benedict's Reagent (for amylase): Solution will change from blue to green at low glucose concentration levels, or orange/red at higher glucose concentration (J. Chem. Educ. 2008)
Phenolphthalein (lipase): Add controlled amount of enzyme into substrate and measure rate of reaction by recoding amount of time taken for solution to turn clear. (Fisher, 2016)
Iodine: Measure the time taken for amylase to completely break down starch, by withdrawing samples at 10 second intervals and noting the time at which the solution no longer gives a blue-black colour with iodine solution (but the iodine solution remains orange). (Lynn, 2015)
Glucometer: Measures the concentration of glucose produced after a controlled amount of time in the presence of amylase, to determine amylase efficiency in breaking down starch. (Krans, 2012)
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Energy generation
Fuel for cars
Household cleaning
Laundry
Conditions
pH level
In water
As enzymes function optimally in a pH range from 5-9, the pH of water used should be approximately neutral. This is to ensure a high rate of reaction, and so the enzymes in the detergent do not denature.
In detergent
The alkalinity of a detergent is important because the fatty acids and oils in the alkaline environment become more soluble and therefore are removed better. (Andrews, 2018)
Temperature
If the water temperature was too high, the enzymes in the detergent will denature, making it unable to bind to the substrate (Stain). However, if the temperature was too low, the rate of enzyme activity in the detergent will decrease, therefore lowering the efficiency of removing the stain. The optimal temperature for enzyme activity in detergent ranges from 20-60°C. (Andrews, 2018)
Stain
Type of base (oil or water)
The complementary of material to stain base determines the cleaning ability of detergent as different materials react differently to different types of stain bases. (Andrews, 2018)
Size/Volume
The larger the size/volume of the stain, the more substrates there are for enzymes in detergent to bind to. This will decrease the rate of enzyme activity, as compared to a smaller stain. (Andrews, 2018)
Material
Hydrophilic (absorbent) or hydrophobic (not absorbent): High absorbency means that the fabric will absorb water-based stains, while synthetic fabrics like polyester are more resistant to water-based stains,but will absorb oil and grease stains. (Andrews, 2018)
Detergent
Dilution: The concentration of enzymes in detergent determines the efficiency on removing a stain as the higher the concentration, the more enzymes there are to bind to the substrate, thus removing the stain. (Jain, 2020)
Textiles
Animal nutrition
Foods and beverages processing
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