Potato cells contain the enzyme catalase - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 8 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 8
Potato cells contain the enzyme catalase.
This enzyme catalyses the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water:
Figure 15 shows what happened when a stud... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Potato cells contain the enzyme catalase - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 8 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which term describes the hydrogen peroxide in this reaction?
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Answer
In this reaction, the hydrogen peroxide acts as the substrate for the enzyme catalase. Since it is the substance that is being transformed by the enzyme in the reaction, the correct option is B substrate.
Step 2
Explain why the student used potato discs with the same mass.
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Answer
Using potato discs of the same mass ensures that the surface area and the amount of enzyme present are consistent for each trial. This allows for a fair comparison of the rates of reaction across different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. Variations in mass could lead to differences in the amount of catalase available, affecting the results and making them unreliable.
