Question

1. LDH is functional in mammals at 37 C what are the reasons for keeping samples at or near 4C our manipulation?

2. What is occurring during dialysis? Can you think of another technique that’s might be used to secure similar results?

Answer 1

Please find the answers below:

Answer 1: LDH or lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme which works best at physiological temperature of 37 degree celcius. However, the enzyme is always stored at 4 degree celcius for experimental purpose and slowly brought to the desired temperature in order to preserve its enzymatic activity. This is because the active enzyme at 37 degree celcius gradully looses its enzymatic activity but the same is preserved at lower temperature. This is why the stock solution of the enzyme is always stored at low temperature and only the requisite amount of enzyme is taken out for experimental purpose.

Answer 2: Dialysis is a technique which allows movement of solutes across a semi-permeable membrane when the two solutions contain different solute concentrations, until the system reaches equilibrium. This is a technique to concentrate the desired biomolecule from a solution. Other techniques that can be used for this purpose are chromatography (size-exclusion, ion-exchange etc) which concentrate the analyte based upon thier physico-chemical features.