The Effect of pH on Catalase ActivitySecondary Resources: Through my research that I have done, I have learned that:The Catalysis is an enzyme found in foods like potatoes and liver. Catalysis accelerates the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water due to the shape of the hydrogen peroxide molecule. This type of reaction in which a molecule is broken down into smaller pieces is called anabolic reaction. This enzymatic catalysis is the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide and forms oxygen gas and water. Enzymes are very large and complex organic molecules that are synthesized by the cell to perform very specific functions. These biological catalysts are important because they speed up the rate of reactions they catalyze, which would otherwise be too slow to support life. Catalysis is an enzyme found in the cells of plants, animals and aerobic bacteria. It promotes the conversion of hydrogen peroxide, a powerful and potentially harmful oxidizing agent, into water and molecular oxygen. Catalase is located in a cellular organelle called a peroxisome. The peroxisomes of animal cells are involved in the oxidation of fatty acids and the synthesis of cholesterol and bile acids. Hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of fatty acid oxidation. White blood cells produce hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria. In both cases, catalase prevents hydrogen peroxide from harming the cell itself. Plant cell peroxisomes are involved in photorespiration and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (the breaking of the nitrogen molecule N2 into reactive nitrogen atoms). Hydrogen peroxide is produced as an intermediate during these chemical processes and must be removed to avoid damage to cellular machinery. Aerobic (oxygen-requiring) bacteria produce hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct of metabolism. This fact is used when identifying bacteria. If hydrogen peroxide is added to a bacterial colony and bubbles are produced, this is evidence of oxygen production and confirms that the colony is aerobic. Catalase activity can be measured by determining the rate at which oxygen gas is released by the decomposition of hydrogen.