Catalase Article Adapted from: Argument-driven Inquiry in Biology: Lab Investigations for Grades 9-1 By Victor Sampson Sugars are vital to all living organisms and are used to produce the energy (in the form of ATP) an organism needs for survival. Living organisms use carbohydrates as sources of energy. Different types of sugars are found in different kinds of foods, but not all of these sugars can be used as energy sources by every type of organism. In order for an organism to make use of sugar as an energy source, it must be capable of transporting the sugar into its cells and it must have the proper enzymes to break down the chemical bonds of the sugar to release the energy stored inside the molecule. 4. Enzymes are proteins that are involved in almost every chemical reaction that takes place within an organism5.. They act as catalysts, substances that speed up chemical reactions without being destroyed or altered during the process. The figure to the right illustrates how an enzyme lowers the amount of energy needed for a reaction to take place, and the figure below illustrates how an enzyme interacts with a substrate. Although most reactions can occur without enzymes, the rate of the reaction would be far too slow to be useful. An example of an important enzyme in animals is catalase, which is produced in the liver and is used to 6. catalyze the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). H2O2 is a toxic chemical that is produced as a natural by-product of many reactions that take place within your cells. Because it is toxic, it must be destroyed before it can do too much damage. To destroy H2O2, cells convert it into oxygen gas and water based on the following reaction: Enzyme Article Analysis Questions Can our bodies digest and process ALL of the sugar that we consume? Why? What has to happen to these sugars before we can use them for energy? What type of molecule is responsible for breaking them down? An enzyme is a type of . What is a catalyst? What is the purpose of the enzyme Catalase? What evidence would be present to indicate that Catalase is functioning correctly?