Juicy Fruit Investigation :: Papers

Juicy Fruit Investigation Aim: To find out if temperature affects the amount of juice the enzyme pectinase releases from an apple. Prediction ========== I predict that the temperature the pectinase will work best in is 30Â ° - 40Â °, I think this will be the temperature the pectinase will be able to break down the most fruit into fruit juice. I do not believe the enzyme will work above 45Â ° as it would become denatured. This is because I know most enzymes (similar to proteins) stop working/get destroyed above this temperature, as they are made up of protein. I also know that the temperature enzymes work best in the body at body temperature; 37Â ° therefore I believe the higher the temperature is without going over 45Â ° the faster the molecules will move and hit the enzyme molecules. An enzyme works when a substrate molecule bumps into a molecule of the correct enzyme, they fit together into a depression on the surface of the enzyme molecule. When this movement takes place the depression is called an 'active site'. A reaction takes place and the substrate products are released separately. Because the substrate molecules are different shapes they will only fit into certain enzymes. When the enzyme reaches a temperature too high it will change shape, therefore the substrate molecule would not fit. When the enzyme reaches a temperature that is low (or lower than 37Â º) the molecules will not move as fast as they will have less energy. This therefore means the enzyme molecules will not hit the substrate molecules as often as they would in a higher temperature meaning less juice will be released. [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] Enzyme molecule [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] Active site [IMAGE] Substrate fits into active site Active site [IMAGE] [IMAGE] A reaction takes place [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] Products leave the active site separately Preliminary test: