Catalase essay

What is Catalase? Enzymes are very large and complex organic molecules that are synthesized by the cell to perform very specific functions. These biological catalysts are important because they speed up the rate of the reaction they catalyze that would otherwise be too slow to support life. Catalase is an enzyme present in the cells of plants, animals and aerobic (oxygen requiring) bacteria. It promotes the conversion of hydrogen peroxide, a powerful and potentially harmful …

…optimum of about 40ºC, but there are enzymes that work best at very different temperatures, e.g. enzymes from the arctic snow flea work at -10ºC, and enzymes from thermophilic bacteria work at 90ºC. The optimal pH range is about 7-8 (physiological pH of most cells), but a few enzymes can work at extreme pH, such as protease enzymes in animal stomachs, which have an optimum of pH 1.