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A student investigated the activity of a human enzyme at different temperatures - Edexcel - GCSE Biology: Combined Science - Question 4 - 2020 - Paper 1
Question 4
A student investigated the activity of a human enzyme at different temperatures. The student measured the mass of product formed after 10 minutes at different temper... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A student investigated the activity of a human enzyme at different temperatures - Edexcel - GCSE Biology: Combined Science - Question 4 - 2020 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe the trends shown in Figure 5.
Answer
The data in Figure 5 indicates that the mass of product formed increases steadily as the temperature rises from 0°C to around 40°C, reaching a maximum value of 300 mg at this optimum temperature. Beyond 40°C, the mass of product formed begins to drop. This decline continues as temperatures increase further, indicating a decrease in enzyme activity as the temperature approaches and exceeds 60°C.
Step 2
Explain the results obtained for temperatures from 40°C to 60°C.
Answer
Between 40°C and 60°C, we observe that the mass of product continues to decrease. This decline can be attributed to denaturation of the enzyme as the temperature rises above its optimum. At 60°C, the enzyme is significantly less active due to changes in its tertiary structure, which affects the active site. Consequently, fewer enzymes are able to form enzyme-substrate complexes, leading to a reduction in product formation.