Final answer:
Boiling typically leads to the denaturation of enzymes, thereby halting their function, while freezing slows down enzyme activity without causing denaturation. These effects align with the understanding that enzymes have a preferred temperature range for optimal activity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Boiling and freezing have significant effects on enzyme activity. Boiling, or heating to 100°C, typically denatures enzymes, which causes them to lose their three-dimensional structure and, consequently, their functionality. This is because the high heat disrupts the hydrogen and other bonds that maintain the enzyme's shape. At the other extreme, freezing at 0°C greatly slows down enzyme activity. Enzymes function optimally within a narrow temperature range, and a decrease in temperature reduces their ability to catalyze reactions.
The results likely align with predictions based on the understanding that enzymes have optimal temperature ranges and that extreme temperatures cause enzymes to denature or their activity rates to drop significantly. Freezing preserves food by slowing enzyme activity, while boiling sterilizes objects by denaturing bacterial enzymes. However, there are exceptions; some organisms have adapted to function at these extremes.
In AP Biology investigations, such as Investigation 13, students design experiments to explore how environmental variables, like temperature, affect enzyme-catalyzed reactions. These educational explorations further our understanding of enzymes and their critical roles in biological systems.