How pH affects Enzyme Activity Lab

We recently finished a lab observing Changes in Enzyme Activity. My group tested the effects of pH levels on enzyme activity. To do so, we cut three 1g slices of potatoes and put them in a test tube filled with 15mm of hydrogen peroxide. Then we poured in acid into one test tube, a base into another and water into yet another test tube. We then watched and measured the enzyme activity which could be observed by bubbles being produced on the potato. 

In the Changes in Enzyme Activity Lab, my lab group tested to see if pH affected enzyme activity. pH is the level of acidity in an object or its environment. We hypothesized that the pH would affect enzyme activity. I believed that a higher pH would increase enzyme activity. However, in our experiment, the test tube containing hydrochloric acid produced no bubbles at all. 

Some errors that our experiment had were that the amounts of water weren’t exactly the same and that the hydrogen peroxide levels weren’t the same on each potato. We sort of did a visual estimate when pouring the acid, base and water into each test tube. In the future, we could measure out each liquid before pouring it in. We could also use pieces of the same potato and make sure they all had the same amount of skin. Besides those somewhat conscious errors, I think everything else was under control.

Our investigation on enzymes could be applied to real life in a situation like acid reflux. Perhaps eating foods with a lower acidity could keep the condition in check. WE can manipulate enzymes in the environmental industry to benefit an ecosystem by creating/finding enzymes that would cancel out pollutant. Or find an enzyme that would make plants grow faster or produce more food when photosynthesizing.