#1096. Blind Enzymes

Science, level: Senior
Posted Mon Nov 6 10:05:06 PST 2000 by Cory Ossan ().
Western High School, Las Vegas Neveda
Materials Required: Blind fold, 200 pennies, Liquid paper/ Finger nail polish, Timer / clock, 200 pennies, Tape
Activity Time: 1 - 5 days
Concepts Taught: How enzymes find substrates

1. Students work in groups of 4's.
2. Let students pick a time of 30 sec - 1:30 minutes.
3. Let one student record data.
4. Let one student be the enzyme with a blind fold.
5. Let put out the pennies time, and count pennies.
6. Student is the enzyme blind folded searching for the pennies which are the substrate.
7. The product is the combination of the substrate and the penny when it is put into a jar or container.
8. The goal is to find the saturation point. Start with 5 pennies out and increase by 5 each time.
9. When the student / Enzyme gets the same number fie times in a row, no matter how many pennies are out that is the saturation point.
10. Competetive inhibition. Tape the fingers of the student / enzyme. This makes it difficult to pick up the pennies. Product is lower.
11. Noncompetetive inhibition. Paint the pennies with white out. The enzyme can't tell a difference between the two.
12. Graph on graph paper and find the leveling point.
13. With more advanced students use a spread sheet program.
14. With even higher students make a Michealis / Menton reverse plot.
15. When graphing plot substrate Vs. product.
16. Students could rerun the experiment using a different time.