Graphing Activity: Solving the Digestive Enzyme Mix Up!
Background Information:
You are the head of a biological research team that has been gathering data about the various life forms
living in or near an alkaline (basic pH 8-14) hot spring in Arkansas. You have just returned from having
been at the alkaline hot spring site for many weeks. It is now time to get down to some serious research
and analyze the data you’ve collected.
Things seem to be going well when suddenly you discover the labels on three of your collection bottles
have come off during shipment. You remember that you collected three different digestive enzymes in
these bottles. You also remember collecting one of the enzymes from a group of bacteria that live right in
the middle of the alkaline hot spring. The other two enzymes came from the digestive tract of a strange
little mammal called a Mondoni, which lives at the edge of the spring.
You realize that if you go ahead and analyze the enzymes, you may find out which enzymes belong to
what creature. You re-label the bottles A, B and C and begin your analysis
Part 1: How does temperature affect enzyme
activity?
Data table 1: Temperature vs. % Enzyme Activity
1. Using graph paper, create a line graph of the
data table to the right
Temperature
(°C )
0
Enzyme
A
5
Enzyme
B
0
Enzyme C
2. Plot temperature on the x-axis and % enzyme
activity on the y-axis
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
13
26
38
50
65
84
97
100
30
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
10
22
38
54
79
97
100
80
20
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
12
23
37
58
80
98
100
90
22
3
0
Data Analysis: Copy down and fill in the following
statements about how temperature affects enzyme
activity.
1. As temperature changes from 25-40 °C, Enzyme
A activity __________________
(increases/decreases) from ______ % to ______ %.
2. Enzyme B activity increases from 10% to 100%
activity from temperature range ______ to ______.
3. Enzyme C activity increases from ______ to ______
from temperature range ______ to ______.
4. Both enzyme A and B have optimal (best)
activity at a temperature of ______, while enzyme
C has an optimal activity at a temperature of
______.
0
Graphing Activity: Solving the Digestive Enzyme Mix Up!
Part 2: How does pH Level affect enzyme activity?
% ENZYME ACTIVITY VS. PH LEVEL
Enzyme A
Enzyme B
Enzyme C
120
% ENZYME ACTIVITY
100
80
60
40
20
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
PH LEVEL
Using the graph above, copy down and fill in the following statements about how pH level affects enzyme
activity.
1. Enzyme A has optimal activity at a pH level of _______. Enzyme A activity ______________
(increases/decreases) from 100% to 0% from a pH level ______ to ______.
2. Enzyme B has an optimal activity at a pH level of ______. From pH level 4 to 8, Enzyme activity
increases from _____ % to _____ %. However, than going from pH level _____ to _____, enzyme activity
decreases from 95% to 12%.
3. Enzyme C has an optimal activity of 90% at a pH level of _____. Enzyme C shows no activity from pH
level ______ to ______. Once Enzyme C is exposed to a pH level of _____, there is 10% activity. From pH
level _____ to _____, enzyme C activity continually increases, until it drops off to 0% activity at a pH
level of _____.
Conclusion:
Write a 4-5 sentence paragraph where you state which enzyme came from the bacteria
living in the alkaline hot springs.
1st sentence = topic sentence and you state which Enzyme (A, B, or C) came from the bacteria living in the
alkaline hot springs
2nd-5th sentences = use data from Data Table: % Enzyme Activity vs. Temperature and % Enzyme Activity
vs. pH level to justify and support your conclusion
Highlight and number your periods.