Go Green lessons and potatoes

During the last Go Green lesson, students performed an experiment related to the catalase enzyme. What is it all about?

It turns out that fresh potato shows an interesting chemical activity. When dipped in a hydrogen peroxide solution, it causes oxygen to bubble. This activity is due to a special protein produced by the potato to protect it from oxidative stress. The enzyme in potato is called catalase. Almost all living things have catalase, including us! It breaks down the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. 

During the experiment, the students also tried to get answers to a few questions. How does temperature affect enzyme activity in potatoes? What happens when we put the boiled potato in hydrogen peroxide? And the second part of the Go Green lesson ended with making potato stamps.