Biochemistry Prac Report Essay Example for Free

Biochemistry Prac Report Essay Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) plays an important role in the anaerobic fermentation of yeast. This reports aims to analyse the kinetic parameters of ADH through spectrophotometry of ADH-catalysed reaction where ethanol is used as a substrate. The Lineweaver-Burk and the Eadie-Hofstee plots are used to linearly transform the hyperbolic form of the Michaelis-Menton equation and to calculate the accurate values of the kinetic parameters under consideration. This results obtained from these plots and equation help tp determine the importance of Km values of enzymes and various factors affecting it such as pH, temperature, presence of metalloenzymes. A brief discussion about the poor substrate specificity of ADH towards ethylene glycol and methods to prevent the occurrence of acidosis in human being due to the presence of ethylene glycol is also presented. INTRODUCTION Dehydrogenases enzymes oxidize a substrate by transferring hydrogen to an acceptor. (Branden et al. , 1975). Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH- EC 1. 1. 1. 1) belongs to this group and catalyses many enzyme reactions (Sund and Theorell, 1963). Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Yeast) has three isoenzymes of ADH namely YADH-1, YADH-2 and YADH-3. YADH-1, which is important for fermentation, consists of four identical subunits, each containing a co-enzyme binding site and a bound zinc atom (Leskovac et al. 2002). Anaerobic conversion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae involves conversion of pyruvate (formed during glycolysis) into ethanal (acetaldehyde) in the presence of enzyme pyruvate decarboxylase (first step) and then reduction of acetaldehyde in the presence of ADH using co-enzyme NADH into ethanol, carbon dioxide and NAD+ (second step). The second step is reversible and these post-glycolysis reactions take place in the cytosol (Petro, 2005). The above-mentioned reactions were the basis of this practical where the kinetics of ADH was closely monitored by spectrophotometric analysis. NADH has an absorption maximum at 340nm while the oxidized form has no absorption at this wavelength. A backwards reaction was carried out and an expected increase in absorbance of the solution was observed as at 340 nm as NADH was reformed (Suzuki et al. 2000). The role of kinetic parameters, maximal velocity (Vmax) and the Michaelis constant (Km) of ADH were also investigated. The isoezyme YADH-2, which differs from YADH 1 at position 294 (methionine inYADH-1, leucine in YADH-2) is responsible for promoting the backward reaction by oxidizing ethanol to acetaldehyde. The higher activity of YADH-2 can be attributed to tighter binding of the longer chain alcohols and more rapid hydrogen transfer (Gould and Plapp, 1990). This background helps to define a hypothesis for this practical.

chemical waste :: essays research papers

Clean Up Of Chemical Waste Chemical spills are major problems that haunt the environment. Strict government regulation are trying help this problem, but governmental leaders face many challenges. Disposal of harmful chemicals is often difficult and costly. Since chemical waste has destroyed the environment, steps are being taken to prevent further pollution, Like the Yucca mountain project. A local based pharmaceutical company named Novo Nordisk released its 1999 environmental report. The company, which strives to keep from contaminating the environment, confessed to two separate accidents for the year. A North Carolina plant was fined from the United States Department of Agriculture 1,000 dollars. Due to the fact that hydrochloric acid was disposed of in the public sewage system. New management has taken action to insure this does not happen again. Also at the Gentofte site in Denmark wastewater with the E- Coli bacteria was drained into the public sewage system from a leaky heater exchanger. The incident was reported to the local authorities and cleaned up quickly. A local company offered to donate expired chemicals to local schools. The chemicals have expired to which they can be used in schools for experiments and related activities. The companies prefer to donate the chemicals because it keeps them from the costly action of disposing of them properly. For example Novo Nordisk in Clayton, North Carolina has a program in which they donate hydrochloric acid and other expired chemicals to Clayton High School. A chemistry teacher at North Johnston High School was unaware that companies could donate their expired chemicals. Her comment of the quality of the expired chemicals was positive. "Expired chemicals would be fine to use for experiments and help me out a lot due to the small budget I am allowed each year for chemicals". A representative from Novo Nordisk stated that a program could easily be established if schools would show interest in the program. Certain disasters stick out in the minds of many people . Chernobyl was a nuclear plant in Ukraine that ended up being the worst nuclear leak in history. The media reported that, "On April 26, 1986, Chernobyl’s number four reactor exploded, spewing a cloud of radioactive material across a portion of Europe in the world's worst civilian nuclear reactor disaster". Officials estimate that about thirty people were killed immediately and more than fifteen thousand people died in the emergency clean up afterwards.

A Time When I Felt Extremely Proud of Myself Essay

It was a great time in my life while I was in school, feeling proud of myself. Because, that time I had an opportunity to developed many things like knowledge, relationship, emotional, mental and physical development. I always remember that great time, which I spent in my school life. It gives me a lot of happiness and also helpful to build up the beautiful memories. It still recall on my mind to memorize a successful achievement, great event and historical record which I obtained in my school life. In my school life I made lot of friends. I had a big group of friends as I believe in making friends in my life. For me, Friends are like your shoulder for you to cry on when you feel sad and weak and share your happiness when you feel happy. In my school life I had lot of fun with my friends. I can never forget the time when we had play together in the school yard and gone for shopping. We had lot of sharing regarding our dreams and ambitions. My life was very colorful and beautiful with them. School life was the best time in my life where I learnt so many things. I developed my hobbies and skills through my school activities. I learnt both social and academic knowledge while I was in school. I learnt how to work in groups and individually. I was an average student, until 5th grade. After hard study I climbed on big step and got first division with highest mark among all students. That was a great achievement for me and felt extremely proud of myself. After that I always stand in first rank in my class. In 8th grade and 10th grade, I got district top in board examination, which was other great achievement and historical record for me and for my school. I used to participate in several competition, and mostly, I always stand on 1st rank. So, that one is my great achievement too. These were the basics of my life and as I grew I learnt so many other things and have deeper thoughts about life. I consider my school time as the best time ,because my life was carefree during that time. No tensions in life and that time I developed my imaginations and dreams to chase. I had nothing to do with the whole world as I had already developed my world in my imaginations. School time was precious for me because it marked dramatic change in my life. I got not only physical growth but also mental growth as well. School life was totally different from university life and adult life. In university life I have to put those school memories behind and have to face the new environment. I feel now my life is with full of complexities as I need to work and study together to make my career which is tough for me as I don’t get enough time for myself but I have to do to make my future career. My life is not as free as it was in my school time. After I graduate from university I have to look for a job and earn money to raise my family. I feel like my adult time will be with full of complexities too. In conclusion, I want to say that my school life was the great time of my life where I felt extremely proud of myself. Because school life only happens one time in everybody life, so it is very precious. School life will teach you all kind of happiness, sadness and other emotions , so one should enjoy their school life fully.

The Negative Effects Of Technology - 1541 Words

Today, about 9 in 10 Americans use the Internet and 77% of Americans own a smartphone. Compare these statistics to the early 2000s when 5 in 10 Americans were online and in 2011, when only 35% of Americans owned a smartphone. Just a few decades ago, the technology we have today were merely ideas in science fiction novels or gadgets seen in a futuristic movie. There is no doubt that technology use has increased dramatically within this decade and these numbers may continue to rise as technology becomes more available to the public. Technology is slowly taking over our life and so many people have grown up surrounded by technology that a life without it is pretty much unimaginable. As technology becomes a bigger part of our daily lives, we†¦show more content†¦To describe the results from a report by the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, the text states, â€Å"†¦ technology- when implemented properly- can produce significant gains in student achievemen t and boost engagement, particularly among students most at risk† (Staff 1). When technology is used the right way, like in a blended environment where both teachers and technology help support a student’s education, it can help make a big difference in their learning. Using technology for teaching purposes can guide students’ learning by interacting with the material rather than just memorizing facts. Technology helps people access a variety of different ideas in a matter of seconds, but this causes people to rely on the Internet for every little problem. Technology is also a great tool for education but it can be difficult for students in poverty stricken schools to have the technology they need. Despite its benefits, technology is overwhelmingly harmful because it has a negative impact on mental and physical health. Susan Greenfield’s article, â€Å"Modern technology is Changing the Way our Brains Work, says Neuroscientist† analyzes how drugs and gadgets are changing and hurting our brains. When Greenfield details the effects technology has on the brain, she writes â€Å"It’s pretty clear that the screen-based, two dimensional world that so many teenagers- and aShow MoreRelatedNegative Effects Of Technology841 Words   |  4 PagesTechnology is everywhere. Technology makes learning in classrooms easier and more interactive, it also helps kids find creativity in making and designing things online. It helps enhance a students thinking too. Yet, several scientist have shown that technology is just as addictive as drugs and harming to your health, and not just your health, it breaks away relationships you have made with others. Technology tears apart peoples relationships leaving them addicted and alone. If someone whoRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Technology1296 Words   |  6 Pages Technology is a key factor in how the economy flows, and is a very important part of a typical person’s daily life. The use of technology over the years has increased by a very large amount. Technology is a part of everyone’s daily life. It is used in the classrooms, offices, automobiles, and just about anywhere that comes to mind. There are many positive effects of technology, but there are also many negative effects. The use of such technology makes everything more simple. Factories, for exampleRead MoreNegative Effects Of Technology1022 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology affects every aspect of our lives. We as humans use it every day with little to no thought. Humans are becoming more reliant on the internet and other forms of technology to receive their information and communicate. However, the increase in the use of technology has had a negative effect on humans’ health and development and communication. Technology changes the way we live our daily lives, the way we develop, and the way we communicate. Technology is a double edged sword. The internetRead MoreNegative Effects Of Technology1127 Words   |  5 Pagesform of technology. Only â€Å" 13% of U.S. adults do not use the internet,† according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of survey data (Anderson Perrin, 2016). With so many people using this is not surprising that technology is beginning to affect different age groups. Technology overuse causes developmental setbacks in children, self image issues in teens, and health concerns within adults. Things now days are a lot different then they were a number of years ago. Without having technology to fallRead MoreNegative Effects Of Technology1503 Words   |  7 PagesUsage of technology varies amongst different age groups, often used for productive means, but there is also a negative side of technology usage. With the advancement of technology, technology is considered to be survival tools for humans, such as to make life easier and to be extra productive. Moreover, Adults harness the power of technology to solve complex problems, usually this can only be done with the aid of a computer. Another arena of technology use is for school, both, parents and teachersRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Technology854 Words   |  4 Pagesand access to Google. We, as a modern tech savvy society, must be aware and wise when using technology and the internet since nowadays dangers are everywhere. As a result, society has become overly dependent with using technology within their daily live s, so much that it affects children, can lead to online dangers, and creates unnecessary obsession among users. First of all, excessive exposure to technology can be detrimental to children. Some people may say that children play and watch educationalRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Technology1465 Words   |  6 Pagesrarity to own a smartphone. Technology has advanced immensely over the years and completely changed the way we live today. Most people would argue that technology is beneficial and it helps make their lives much easier. Although these statements may be true, I could easily argue the contrary. Sometimes I think life would be simpler without it. Almost everything comes with its pros and cons, but this paper will soon persuade you that one outweighs the other. Technologies of all sorts have started toRead MoreNegative Effects Of Technology846 Words   |  4 PagesTechnology is something that has been evolving for thousands of years, and even more years to follow. In 1441, a German inventor named Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, making printing 500 times faster and new ideas to be passed around. In 1608, Galileo Galilei, an Italian Astronomer, built the first telescope, enabling new scientific discoveries to be found. These technologies allowed advancements to the human society, but not all new technologies are used for the better good. TechnologyRead MoreNegative Effects Of Technology1001 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology has greatly impacted today’s society. Through technology, we can have the entire world at our finger tips; but is this new and evolving way of life negatively impacting society? Traditional family foundations are rotting away due to modern use of technology. Children, instead of playing outside, riding bikes, or using their imagination, are increasingly depending on technology; and in the future, technology will have damaging effects. In an interview with Steve Jobs, Nick Bilton, aRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Technology1457 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology users vary from ages as little like a baby to an elderly, and everyone has different purposes of usage. They are survival tools that help human make life easier and faster (Member, 2013). Adults get the technology to help advance in solving problems. Parents and teachers believe technology help enhance learning. Although technology is meant to be excellent in different scenarios, it does not always mean it is healthy. An example would be students who use less technology, score higher on