The enzyme glucose oxidase isolated from the mold Penicillium notatum catalyzes the oxidation of B-D-glucose to D-glucono-6-lactone. The enzyme is highly specific for the B anomer of glucose and does...

Extracted text: The enzyme glucose oxidase isolated from the mold Penicillium notatum catalyzes the oxidation of B-D-glucose to D-glucono-6-lactone. The enzyme is highly specific for the B anomer of glucose and does not affect the a anomer. In spite of this specificity, the reaction catalyzed by glucose oxidase is commonly used in a clinical assay for total blood glucose -that is, for solutions consisting of a mixture of B- and a-D-glucose, as well as other sugars present in blood. The oxidation proceeds in the presence of oxygen and forms hydrogen peroxide, in addition to the lactone. A second enzyme, called peroxidase, catalyzes the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with colorless compounds to create a colored product, which is quantified with a simple spectrophotometer. What are the circumstances required to make this possible? Aside from allowing the detection of smaller quantities of glucose, what advantage does glucose oxidase offer over the Fehling's reagent for measuring blood glucose?