1. Would catalase be a more effective enzyme in a cell at physiological pH (pH 7

Question

1. Would catalase be a more effective enzyme in a cell at physiological pH (pH 7.4) or in the stomach at pH 2? Explain.
2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: "We refrigerate or who to kill harmful bacteria. Specifically, refrigeration denatures the bacteria's enzymes." Explain your reasoning.
3. Irreversible inhibitor's form strong bonds to the enzyme there by permanently stopping enzyme activity. Insecticides, herbicides, and heavy metals like Hg2+ and Pb2+ are irreversible inhibitors. Do you think that the naturally occurring inhibitors that control enzyme activity in our cells act as irreversible inhibitors? Explain your reasoning.
4. Silver nitrate and 2-propanol are often used to destroy microorganisms. What do you think is the mechanism of action as the function in this capacity? Post-lab questions 1. Would catalase be a more effective enzyme in a cell at physiological phH (pH 7.4) or in the stomach at pH 2? Explain. 2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: "We refrigerate our food to kill harmful bacteria. Specifically, refrigeration denatures the bacteria's enzymes." Explain your reasoning. 3. Irreversible inhibitors form strong bonds to the enzyme thereby permanently stopping enzyme activity. Insecticides, herbicides, and heavy metals like Hg and Pb2 are irreversible inhibitors. Do you think that the naturally occurring inhibitors that control enzyme activity in our cells act as irreversible or reversible inhibitors? Explain your reasoning. Silver nitrate and 2-propanol are often used to destroy microorganisms. What do you think is the mechanism of action as they function in this capacity? 4.

Explanation / Answer

Q1. Catalase would be a more efefctive enzyme at physiological pH.  It catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. Thus hydrogen peroxide is produced at those sites where metabolic reactions take place or processes such as detoxification takes place. Liver is the primary site for detoxification, hence catalse works at the required physiological pH.

Q2. Enzymes have an optimum temperature at which they work. Their normal functioning enables the growth of microorganisms. The majority of enzymes function at room temperature. Hence when the temperature is brought down to 4 degree Celcius, they stop functioning and help us to check the growth of microorganisms.

Q3. Many of the known natural metabolites or inhinbitors act as potent irreversible inhibitors in other system and can be fatal for them. This property has been explored to kill many predators, herbs etc. For example, paclitaxel (taxol), an organic molecule found in the Pacific yew tree, binds tightly to tubulin dimers and inhibits their assembly into microtubules in the cytoskeleton.

Q4. Silver present in the Silver nitrate intereferes with the thiol group in the enzymes and prevent them from functioning normally. 2-propanol dehydrates the bacteria and forms pore on its cell walls.

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