… Potatoes, particularly, contain high amounts of catalase, which is mysterious because plants do not filter toxins from food.Ĭatalase is a key enzyme which uses hydrogen peroxide, a nonradical ROS, as its substrate. We can use potatoes to help see catalase work because bubbles of oxygen form when we put potatoes into hydrogen peroxide.Ĭatalase is an enzyme found in human organs such as the liver and kidneys, and is associated with the organs’ roles of cleansing the body of toxins absorbed from ingested food. Why do potatoes need enzymes? It helps change peroxides (which are created in other reactions and aren’t good for living things) into water and oxygen.
The catalase in potato juice breaks the hydrogen peroxide down much, much faster. If you let hydrogen peroxide sit in a container – 5 – for long enough (months at room temperature) bubbles of oxygen would be released. An enzyme makes a reaction happen faster. You are observing catalase breaking hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water.
This reaction is caused by catalase, an enzyme within the potato.
