Question

What would you expect to happen if a disk soaked in catalase solution was placed in a beaker with distilled water (with no hydrogen peroxide)? Why would this happen?

A: No reaction would occur because there's no hydrogen peroxide.
B: The disk would sink because of increased weight.
C: Oxygen bubbles would form as catalase breaks down water.
D: The disk would dissolve due to the catalase solution."

Answer 1

In the absence of hydrogen peroxide, a disk soaked in catalase solution placed in distilled water will not react because catalase acts specifically on hydrogen peroxide, which is not present in this scenario A) No reaction would occur because there's no hydrogen peroxide.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a disk soaked in catalase solution is placed in a beaker with distilled water that contains no hydrogen peroxide, option A is correct: No reaction would occur because there's no hydrogen peroxide. The catalase enzyme specifically catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

Without its substrate (hydrogen peroxide), catalase has nothing to act on. Hence, the disk will not produce oxygen bubbles, will not dissolve due to the catalase, and it will not sink because of increased weight solely due to the presence of catalase.