NAME: URBANO, DELFIN JR. A.

YR&SEC: BS Biology2A

TITLE: THE REACTION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND LIVER

INTRODUCTION:

Enzymes are the biological catalysts in our body. They are highly selective catalysts, meaning that
each enzyme only speeds up a specific reaction and do not get used up in the process. Almost all
biochemical reactions in living things need enzymes. With an enzyme, chemical reactions go much faster
than they would without the enzyme. An enzyme attracts substrates to its active site, catalyzes the chemical
reaction by which products are formed, and then allows the products to dissociate (separate from
the enzyme surface).
Now the liver contains high amount of enzyme catalase. This enzyme breakdown hydrogen
peroxide into oxygen gas and water. It is an enzyme in the liver that is abundant because the liver’s main
function is to detoxify substances that enters the body.
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula H2O2. In its pure form, it is a pale
blue, clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide (a
compound with an oxygen–oxygen single bond). It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent and antiseptic.
Concentrated hydrogen peroxide, or "high-test peroxide", is a reactive oxygen species and has been used
as a propellant in rocketry. Its chemistry is dominated by the nature of its unstable peroxide bond.
Hydrogen peroxide is unstable and slowly decomposes in the presence of light. Because of its instability,
hydrogen peroxide is typically stored with a stabilizer in a weakly acidic solution. Hydrogen peroxide is
found in biological systems including the human body. Enzymes that use or decompose hydrogen peroxide
are classified as peroxidases.

HYPOTHESIS:

The higher the amount of liver placed on a bottle with hydrogen peroxide, the quicker and higher
the reaction will be.

MATERIALS:
100 grams (20 + 80) grams of Chopped Liver [2 sets (20 grams) (80 grams)]
Hydrogen Peroxide (100 ml x2)
Empty Bottle 350mL x 2
Chopping board
Kitchen Knife

PROCEDURE:

a. Conduct the experiment outdoors, away from any people or properties. Choose a wide open
spaced place.
b. Put on your mask and gloves for safety purposes.
c. Prepare the liver. Chop the liver into small pieces. Separate the liver in 20 grams, and 80 grams.
d. Prepare the two 350mL empty bottles.
e. Put the 100mL Hydrogen Peroxide on each bottle.
f. On the first bottle, put the 20-gram liver and close the bottle. Then observe.
g. On the second bottle, put the 80-gram liver and close the bottle. Observe.

DATA:

1st Bottle (20-gram liver) 2nd bottle (80-gram liver)

There was a reaction inside the bottle. But it was The reaction was of great intensity. It instantly
not enough to cause the bottle cap to react like a made the bottle cap to explode.
rocket.

ANALYSIS:

On the first bottle where the 20-gram liver had a reaction on which the whole bottle was filled with
oxygen gas and bubbles were formed. But it was not enough to trigger the empty bottle to burst like a
rocket. On the other hand, the second bottle with the 80-gram liver, was a total wreckage of the bottle. It
burst like a rocket blasting the botte apart. It’s because the liver has huge amount of catalase which is an
enzyme in the liver that breaks down harmful hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water. When
this reaction occurs, oxygen gas bubbles escape and create foam. Now, the amount of liver that was inside
the first bottle was lesser compared to the second bottle to let us think that the amount of catalase that is
present in the 20-gram liver was lesser which made the reaction of hydrogen peroxide to it, was not as great
as the reaction on the second bottle because the amount of enzyme catalase on the first bottle was fewer.

The immense reaction of hydrogen peroxide with the higher amount of liver made the hypothesis correct.
CONCLUSION:

I therefore conclude that, the higher the amount of catalase when mixed with hydrogen peroxide,
the higher the reaction would be. The enzyme catalase will react more if it is on a larger amount when it
comes in contact with a hydrogen peroxide.

REFERENCES:

https://schoolworkhelper.net/the-effect-of-hydrogen-peroxide-on-liver-hypothesis-apparatus-method
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2140981/

https://prezi.com/bmou_skio0er/liver-hydrogen-peroxide-chemical-reactions-catalysts/