Question

Jill has quite a menagerie of pets and she regularly has to deal with minor animal injuries. So when Johnnie, her rooster, spikes Jessie, her collie, on the muzzle with one of his long leg spurs, Jill knows what to do. She reaches for the hydrogen peroxide and thoroughly floods Jessie's puncture wound with the liquid. Jill observes, as always, that the hydrogen peroxide causes heavy fizzing at the site of the wound. She repeats the procedure several times a day over the next week, carefully inspecting the wound for signs of infection. The injury heals without complications and Jessie has a new respect for roosters.
a) What is hydrogen peroxide and how does it help to reduce the infection?
b) Why is hydrogen peroxide especially useful for treating puncture wounds?
c) What causes the fizzing associated with hydrogen peroxide use?

Answer 1

Answer:

a.) Hydrogen peroxide are highly reactive oxygen compounds used as an antiseptic

b.) Used in treating punctured wounds due to the nature of the wound which helps microorganisms to thrive.

c.) Fizzing associated with hydrogen peroxide use is due to presence of the enzyme catalase.

Explanation:

Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound which is made up of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. It is powerful oxidizing agent which takes part in biological reactions. This is possible as it can remove electrons from other biological molecules which can damage other cellular components. It is used an an antiseptic to reduce infection because, being a powerful oxidizing agent, it has the ability to react with cell wall of these microorganisms through removal of electrons thereby causing damage to it.

Punctured wounds are narrow in structure which allows obligate anaerobic organisms to thrive because of reduced oxygen flow in the wound. Hydrogen peroxide can effectively eliminate these organisms which are most likely to cause infection in that site because they lack the enzyme called catalase.

Catalase is an enzyme which is present in living cells except obligate anaerobic organisms. It converts hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The fizzing noticed by Jill while cleaning the wound with hydrogen peroxide is due to the catalase in Jill's own cells which converts the hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. When oxygen is given off, fizzing reactions are seen at the surface of the wound.