Investigating Amylase
Aim:
The aim of the experiment is to investigate how effectively the enzyme
amylase breaks down starch at different temperatures, and therefore to
find the optimum temperature that amylase digests starch.
Introduction:
Thousands of chemical reactions take place in our cells and those
reactions need to happen quickly in order to keep us active. These
chemicals are called ENZYMES. Enzymes make reactions happen at a much
faster rate.
Enzymes come in two main types, breakers and builders. Breaker-enzymes
break down large molecules into smaller molecules. Builder enzymes
join small molecules together to make large molecules. The builder
enzyme does this reaction quicker.
Enzymes work on substances called substrates. This reaction takes
place on the surface of the enzyme which is called the Active Site.
[IMAGE]Enzymes break down large food molecules into smaller molecules,
this happens inside your gut. This is called Digestion.
Carbohydrates can only break down carbohydrates, to make sugars.
Proteases can only break down proteins, to make amino acids. Lipases
break down fats, to make fatty acids and glycerol
Enzymes have five important properties:
1. They are all proteins.
2. Each enzyme controls one particular reaction.
3. They can be used again and again.
4. They are affected by temperature.
5. They are affected by Ph.
The information was from 'Encarta 98' and 'Biology For You' - by
Gareth Williams
Background knowledge (facts):
Chemicals changed by enzymes catalysed reactions are called the
substrate of the enzyme they fit into the active site of the enzyme;
this is where the reaction takes place, this happens with a lock and
key mechanism. The product of the reaction then leaves the active
site, freeing it up for more similar reactions to take place.
Amylase is a carbohydrase enzyme which is in our saliva gland, this
helps digest the carbohydrates that we eat e.g. pasta and bread etc.
[IMAGE]
Starch is a large molecule which is made up of lots of other smaller
called an active site. This active site is made by a few of the amino
Enzymes are biological catalysts, which are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions. Enzymes use reactants, known as the substrates, and are converted into products. Through this chemical reaction, the enzyme itself is not consumed and can be used over and over again for future chemical reactions, but with the same substrate and product formed. Enzymes usually only convert specific substrates into products. Substrates bind to the region of an enzyme called the active site to form the enzyme/substrate complex. Then this becomes the enzyme/products complex, and then the products leave the enzyme. The activity of enzymes can be altered based on a couple of factors. Factors include pH, temperature and others. These factors, if they become
Enzymes are used to carry out reactions in a rapid manner otherwise the reaction would occur very slowly thus not being able to sustain life. Enzymes bind to a substrate that is specific to their task and then conforms into a product that is needed; the enzyme is then able to catalyze more of the same reaction. Enzymes and substrates act as a lock and a key since enzymes are made for a specific substrate and is able to form an enzyme-substrate complex (Department of Biology). Thus changes of the shape of an enzyme can inhibit its ability to catalyze a reaction. If the enzyme shape is alternated due to environmental conditions, it is denatured and can no longer act as a catalyst. Peroxidase is the type of enzyme used in this
Enzymes are proteins that increase the speed of reactions in cells. They are catalysts in these reactions which means that they increase the speed of the reaction without being consumed or changed during the reactions. Cofactors are required by some enzymes to be able to carry out their reactions by obtaining the correct shape to bind to the other molecules of the reaction. Chelating agents are compounds that can disrupt enzyme reactions by binding to metallic ions and change the shape of an enzyme. Catechol is an organic molecule present under the surface of plants. When plants are injured, catechol is exposed to oxygen and benzoquinone is released because of the oxidation of catechol. Catecholase aids in the reaction to produce
Abstract: Enzymes are catalysts therefore we can state that they work to start a reaction or speed it up. The chemical transformed due to the enzyme (catalase) is known as the substrate. In this lab the chemical used was hydrogen peroxide because it can be broken down by catalase. The substrate in this lab would be hydrogen peroxide and the enzymes used will be catalase which is found in both potatoes and liver. This substrate will fill the active sites on the enzyme and the reaction will vary based on the concentration of both and the different factors in the experiment. Students placed either liver or potatoes in test tubes with the substrate and observed them at different temperatures as well as with different concentrations of the substrate. Upon reviewing observations, it can be concluded that liver contains the greater amount of catalase as its rates of reaction were greater than that of the potato.
== Amylase is an enzyme found in our bodies, which digest starch into
Background information:. Enzyme Enzymes are protein molecules that act as the biological catalysts. A Catalyst is a molecule which can speed up chemical reactions but remains unchanged at the end of the reaction. Enzymes catalyze most of the metabolic reactions that take place within a living organism. They speed up the metabolic reactions by lowering the amount of energy.
I decided to experiment with pHs within the range pH 2 to pH7, as I
However, the decrease varied depending on the temperature. The lowest temperature, 4 degrees Celsius, experienced a very low decrease of amylose percentage. Temperature at 22 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees Celsius, both had a drastic decrease in amylose percentage. While the highest temperature, 70 degrees Celsius, experienced an increase of amylose percentage. In conclusion, as the temperature increases the percentage of amylose decreases; however, if the temperature gets too high the percentage of amylose will begin to increase. The percentage of amylose increases at high temperatures because there is less enzyme activity at high temperatures. However, when the temperature is lower, more enzyme activity will be present, which results in the decrease of amylose percentage. This is why there is a decrease of amylose percentage in 4, 22, and 37 degrees Celsius. In this experiment the optimal temperature is 37 degrees Celsius, this is because this is the average human body temperature. Therefore, amylase works better at temperatures it is familiar
Investigating the Rate of Reaction between Amylase and Starch. Plan Aim: To be able to The aim of this investigation is to find out whether the volume of amylase affects the rate of reaction between amylase and starch. Prediction: I predict that the greater the volume of amylase then the faster the rate of reaction between the starch and amylase. I predict this because of the lock and key hypothesis.
Enzymes have the ability to act on a small group of chemically similar substances. Enzymes are very specific, in the sense that each enzyme is limited to interact with only one set of reactants; the reactants are referred to as substrates. Substrates of an enzyme are the chemicals altered by enzyme-catalysed reactions. The extreme specific nature of enzymes are because of the complicated three-dimensional shape, which is due to the particular way the amino acid chain of proteins folds.
Discussion: Enzymes (catalase) are found in every living organism, helping to speed up chemical reactions. Enzymes function is to break down molecules into smaller substances. In our experiment we are seeing if the enzyme is able to break down the molecules. We are using hydrogen peroxide as the substrate, this is a substrate of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. as the hydrogen comes into contact with the enzyme (potato disks) the enzyme then breaks down the hydrogen peroxide substance into 2 smaller molecules.
Previous experiments have found that the enzymes break down larger dirt molecules into smaller dirt molecules. Therefore speeding up the process of cleaning clothes (catalyse) as the water can wash them away quicker. Another example of enzymes is the digestive system in the human body. Enzymes called protease are produced by the stomach, the pancreas and the small intestine. These enzymes catalyse the break down of fatty acids into amino acids.
If I was to do this experiment again I might use a Fungi amylase to
Enzymes are protein molecules that are made by organisms to catalyze reactions. Typically, enzymes speed up the rate of the reaction within cells. Enzymes are primarily important to living organisms because they help with metabolism and the digestive system. For example, enzymes can break larger molecules into smaller molecules to help the body absorb the smaller molecules faster. In addition, some enzyme molecules bind molecules together.