Key characteristics of hydrogen peroxide Essay

1. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a leaning agent and to prevent infections. Hydrogen peroxide is a paleblue liquid, and is commonly mistaken as water. Substantial amounts can be found in commonly drunk beverages, such as instant coffee, in human urine, and in exhaled air. Hydrogen peroxide plays a role in regulating renal function and acts as an antibacterial agent in urine (Clement, Halliwell & Long 2000). Hydrogen peroxide is a solution of hydrogen and oxygen, and may not cause pain when initially used. However, if it absorbed it can cause many problems. The usage of hydrogen peroxide is restricted to the outer most parts of the body (i.e. skin). When used, the antiseptic foams due to the enzyme catalase. Once the catalase is in contact with the skin, the hydrogen peroxide is turned into water and oxygen. If ingested, it can reduce the number of fibroblasts, which are a particular cell that are essential for cleaning and repairing damaged tissue (Tucker 2012). Hydrogen peroxide can damage cells and the proteins of that cell. But, the cell itself actually produces hydrogen peroxide. In order to prevent intoxication and cell death, the cells maintain the use of a catalase. A few enzymes in the body make hydrogen peroxide. Enzymes that break down certain amino acids and fatty acids make substantial amounts of hydrogen peroxide. Since it can be dangerous to normal cell tissues, these enzymes are kept inside peroxisomes. The peroxisomes contain a large amount of catalase that break down the hydrogen peroxide before it can escape (Cross 1999). Catalase is a common enzyme found in all living organisms exposed to oxygen. It is a very important enzyme that acts to protect our cells from damage. It serves to modulate levels of hydrogen peroxide in the body. High levels of hydrogen peroxide had been found to damage DNA and protein, thus catalase is important in maintaining a level that will prevent such damage (Edward 2011).

2. The results in part A indicate that the greater the enzyme concentration, the higher the rate of reaction. We can see this by comparing the 100% rate of reaction and the 20% reaction rate. When 100% catalase was present, the rate of reaction was 7.03 mm/s, whereas in the 20% catalase concentration, the rate of reaction was 1.07 mm/s. Because catalase breaks hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen it is a decomposition reaction. Hydrogen peroxide has the ability to gradually degenerate on its own, however the presence of a catalase decomposes it much faster. When decomposing hydrogen peroxide, the hydrogen peroxide (substrate) binds to the catalase (enzyme) and has an oxygen atom removed. Catalase does this by lowering the activation energy the hydrogen peroxide molecules have to overcome. Since the activation energy is lowered, the rate of reaction increases without consuming the enzyme catalase (Giuseppe et al., 2003, p. 69). This proves that the higher the concentration, the faster the reaction will occur because there is more catalase working to break down hydrogen peroxide.