Acting as catalysts the enzyme cause chemical reactions that would not occure in the absence of the enzymes or speed up reactions that would be very slow. Exercise 5 Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity Campbell 3rd ed. The enzyme you will be using, catechol oxidase, is found in plant tissues. We will get ours from the potato. Catechol oxidase, released when a plant cell is damaged, reacts with catechol to form benzoquinone.
Benzoquinone is toxic to bacteria and helps prevent decay in damaged plant tissue.
The benzoquinone is a brown colour. We will examine the rate at which catechol oxidase produces benzoquinone at different temperatures. For answers to the questions consult your lab manual, textbook and lecture notes. If you are still unsure consult with one of the instructors. Lab Index Page Go Forward to Next Page Go to the University of Manitoba UM info home page.