Post-Lab Questions 1. Both carbon monoxide and oxygen bind at the same active si
ID: 519249 • Letter: P
Question
Post-Lab Questions 1. Both carbon monoxide and oxygen bind at the same active site in hemoglobin. However, carbon monoxide binds stronger than oxygen, and thus, effectively prevents hemoglobin from transporting oxygen to cells. How is the carbon monoxide acting in this process? 2. The experiment with rennin simulates the environment in the stomach. a. How would the digestion of milk in the stomach be influenced by concentration and pH? b. Why was the experiment carried out at 35-10 C? ee. Based on your observations in the experiment carried out at different temperatures, how effective would rennin be at 0 C and at 100 C? Explain. 3. Refrigeration prevents the spoilage of food. What does this action have to do with the way that enzymes work? 4. Below is a graph that shows the behavior of an enzyme at various pH values. What is the maximum value called? At what pH value is the enzyme expected to work the best?Explanation / Answer
1. Carbon monooxide binds to the haemoglobin and releases its strain, thereby enabling it to bind strongly to oxygen at the other three available sites on the system. Haemoglobin is a tetramer and thus it binds with oxygen in a reversible manner in normal condition and helps transport oxygen. However in CO binding condition it does not release the oxygen and thus causes the system failure.
2. Environment in the stomach
a. The digestion of milk in the stomach is influenced by the pH which should be about 5.0-6.5 for the enzyme renin to function. So higher or lower pH would reduce the digection rate considerably. When the concentration goes up, the rate of digestion also increases up to a certain extent after which it becomes a constant as all sites of enzyme are completely filled and only once they are digested new molecules bind to the enzyme sites.
b. The experiment was carried out at optimal pH maintained in the body (stomach in this case). To replicate the normal body condition the experiment was thus carried out at 35-40 oC.
c. At very low (0 oC) temperature the rate of enzyme reaction goes down considerably whereas, at very high (100 oC) temperatures, the enzyme would get denatured and no further digestion would occur.
3. As the remperature is decreased (refrigerated) the rate of enzymatic reaction goes down and this thus prevents the food from getting spoiled.
4. The maximum value from graph is at pH 5. The optimal range of working would be pH 4.5-5.5.