Pineapple and Jell-O Experiment

Background Information

(continued)

Enzymes are essential to organisms because they have the ability to speed up chemical reactions by decreasing the activation energy needed to start the reaction. Enzymes can be reused over and over again. Proteins are exclusive due to the fact that they need a definitive structure to execute their task. Enzymes are a specialized protein which gives them structure and 3-Dimensional shape that plays a vital role to their function because their shape is responsive to environmental changes like pH and temperature. When an enzymes’ structure and shape are affected by pH it changes the charge of protein and alters the interaction within its molecules. When an enzymes’ structure and shape are affected by temperature the number of bonds in the protein are weakened.

The Effect of Bromelain on Jell-O

Citations

Brain, Marshall. "How Cells Work" 01 April 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/cell.htm.21 February 2014.

All information of enzymes within Prezi were found here.

Conclusion

This lab perfectly validates the function of an enzyme. It displays the enzymes capability to speed up reactions. The control test tube in the lab contained only Jell-O while test tube 4 contained Jell-O & Canned Pineapple. Denatured bromelain (the enzyme) caused test tube 4 to harden 25% faster than the test tube without any bromelain. The enzyme lowered the activation level so a reaction could occur. The lab showed how temperature can affect an enzyme. Temperature affects an enzyme by weakening a number of bonds in the protein. This project will be useful in the future when the situation calls for an acceleration in the process of a reaction. If there is a reaction that needs to occur quickly, then an enzyme will be used to increase the speed of the reaction. Enzymes can be used in the future during a lab to process fruits and vegetables. Overall, this experiment was just the basis of enzyme reactions and good view into what an enzyme really does.

By: Joe DeBlasio and Kyle Reardon

Results

Variables

Connections

(continued)

When an enzymes’ structure and shape are affected by temperature the number of bonds in the protein are weakened. All of these different facts of enzymes were learned in class, and now through this experiment, these facts were able to be tested. The pineapple was only able to stop the Jell-O from hardening because the pineapple contains the enzyme, bromelain, which when put together with collagen, found in the Jell-O, solidification can not occur. Just as in class, the enzyme binds to the substrate, creating an active site, catalyzing single reactions at a time. This pineapple enzyme can be used time and time again for any substrate that it fits with, as long as the substrate is not altered by pH or temperature. If the substrate is altered by temperature or pH, then the substrate will become denatured and if that were to happen in this case, the Jell-O would harden. If the Jell-O remains in its liquid phase, then the substrate has not been altered and the enzyme was easily able to bind. This experiment showed the different types of enzyme reactions and how the simplest things such as temperature can affect the outcome of an experiment.

Throughout the year, many new ideas were learned about enzymes. Many new things were learned, such as how enzymes speed up chemical reactions, but in addition to that, many of the things people eat or use on a daily basis can undergo these types of reactions. Enzymes are essential to organisms because they have the ability to speed up chemical reactions by decreasing the activation energy needed to start the reaction. Each enzyme catalyzes only a single reaction of a limited class of reactions at a time where only the substrate it acts upon can fit into its active site. But after stimulating an entire reaction the enzyme still remains unchanged. Enzymes can be reused over and over again. Proteins are exclusive due to the fact that they need a definitive structure to execute their task. Enzymes are a specialized protein and have structure and a 3-Dimensional shape that plays a vital role to their function because their shape is responsive to environmental changes like pH and temperature. When an enzymes’ structure and shape are affected by pH it changes the charge of protein and alters the interaction within its molecules.

The results came out as planned and exactly restated the hypothesis. The fresh and frozen pineapple added to Test Tubes 2 and 3 did not allow the Jell-O to set and the Jell-O remained in its liquid phase. The canned pineapple added to Test Tube 4 allowed the Jell-O to harden and set. The outcome for the all Jell-O Test Tube 1 experiment also resulted exactly as planned as it was supposed to harden into gel as stated in the instructions on the box.

Independent Variable: State of pineapple

Dependent Variable: Amount of time taken for Jell-O to set and become solid

Controlled Variables: Temperature of pineapple when added with Jell-O, and amount of pineapple to Jell-O being placed into test tubes

Materials

- Hot Jell-O

- Test Tubes (4)

-Electronic Heater, or Hot Plate (for heating Jell-O)

- Beaker

- Ice Water

- Fresh Pineapple

- Frozen Pineapple

- Canned Pineapple

- Stopwatch

- Knife

-Electronic Scale

Jell-O Reaction Time

x=not set

!=set

Time

(in minutes)

Test Tube

5

8

6

1

9

7

2

3

4

TT1

x

!

Jell-O Reaction Times

*Never Set

y

(No Pineapple)

9

8

7

TT2

*

6

x

Time

(in mins.)

Taken To

Set

5

(Frozen Pineapple)

4

3

2

1

TT3

x

*

0

Test Tube 1

Test Tube 2*

Test Tube 4

Test Tube 3*

(Fresh Pineapple)

Test Tube

TT4

Predictions

x

!

(Canned Pineapple)

*TT2 and 3 never set

Background Information

TT1: No Pineapple

TT2: Frozen Pineapple

TT3: Fresh Pineapple

TT4: Canned Pineapple

Hypothesis: If the enzyme bromelain is present in the pineapple placed in the Jell-O, then the Jell-O will fail to reach a solid state and consequently remain a liquid.

On Jell-O packets, there is a label that gives a warning about mixing pineapple and Jell-O together and what occurs when the two are put together. The result of putting them together is that the Jell-O cannot harden or set, allowing the Jell-O to remain in its liquid phase. This happens because pineapple contains the enzyme, bromelain, which when put with Jell-O, containing collagen, will not allow the Jell-O to become solid.

If frozen or fresh pineapple is added to Jell-O, a prediction can be made that the Jell-O will not be able to set because the enzyme bromelain of pineapple will react with the collagen of the Jell-O. Though if the canned pineapple is added to the Jell-O, a prediction can be made that the Jell-O will be able to set because the bromelain will have become denatured through heat and not be able to react with the collagen.

Procedure

Procedure

(continued)

Objective: To observe whether the enzymes of pineapple in different states affects the settings of Jell-O.

1. Gather materials.

2. Label four test tubes with the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4.

3. Place Jell-O in graduated cylinder.

4. Pour 25 mL of ice water into a beaker and set it aside for later use.

5. Take 3 pieces of pineapple (1 frozen, 1 fresh, 1 canned). Make sure that they are all able to fit into a regulation sized test tube.

6. Trim down all of the pineapple pieces so they all have the same mass (to 1 decimal point)

TT1: Jell-O only, No Pineapple (control)

TT2: Frozen Pineapple, Jell-O

TT3: Fresh Pineapple, Jell-O

TT4: Canned Pineapple, Jell-O

8. Add 20 mL of Jell-O to every test tube.

9. Place each test tube into the beaker containing ice water.

10. Record the time in which each of the test tubes contents take to set. Check every 30 seconds to see if the Jell-O has fully set.

11. If the test tube does not set after 30 minutes, the contents of the test tube will not set and stop that part of the experiment.

12. Clean up and return equipment.

Qualitative Results

Test Tube 1: The Jell-O hardened at a mediocre pace. Without the presence of an enzyme, the reaction still occurred but at a velocity that was

Test Tube 2: The Jell-O showed no indication of hardening at any point.

Test Tube 3: The Jell-O showed no indication of hardening at any point.

Test Tube 4: The Jell-O hardened at a very rapid pace. Almost immediately after making contact with the pineapple the Jell-O showed small signs of hardening.