This project involves extracting the enzyme catalase from a liver, testing its function and determining its ideal operating conditions. Enzymes are used to provoke chemical reactions within the liver, which are processes vital for breaking down harmful substances. Catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water, and this reaction produces oozing foam and oxygen bubbles. Applying hydrogen peroxide to this enzyme can produce this effect, and testing the effects of different conditions (such as extreme heat) on this reaction can make a good science project.
Traditional methods of testing the size and density of the liver involved invasive procedures such as blood tests and autopsies. This experiment aims to determine whether Computed Tomography and Phantom calibration can be used to obtain accurate measurement of the volume, mass and density of the liver. This experiment can also be used to find the differences between alcohol-consuming livers and non-alcohol consuming livers. Scans of alcohol consuming and non-alcohol consuming patients can be obtained from hospital databases anonymously and compared in terms of mass, density and volume.
DNA makes you who you are. It is present in all living creatures, and the DNA each person has determines innumerable factors about their appearance, such as eye color, hair color and skin color. This experiment involves extracting the DNA from chicken and cow livers to determine whether there is a significant difference between them. Blend the liver in a food processor, add dishwashing liquid to break apart the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope, and then add a meat tenderizer or a contact lens cleaner to remove any proteins attached to the DNA. Add rubbing alcohol to the mixture to separate the DNA for examination.
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) can be used to treat kidney stones and gall stones and comes from the creosote bush, which is native to Mexico. This experiment aims to determine the toxicity of the chemical to the liver by testing its effect on the liver of a laboratory rat. Break down the cells of the liver and apply different amounts of NDGA to them. Keep a control group of cells free of NDGA and measure the amount of cells that are still alive.