Background Information: Enzymes and the function of enzymes are extremely vital to the human body in regards to how quickly the body can break down the macronutrients of starch, lipids, and proteins. I chose to investigate the breaking down of a complex carbohydrate (starch) because due to their size and structure, starch is broken down more slowly than other substances such as sugars, therefore I was intrigued to investigate the extent to which amylase could break down starch faster. Starch is also in plants so this research question would not only be looking at the human/animal aspect of enzymes but will also relate …show more content…
First, mark 5 test tubes with the temperatures specified above and repeat this for each condition. Using the pipette, insert 5 ml of starch into the labeled test tubes.
2. Then place one test tube into its corresponding water bath and do this for each water bath for a total of 5 test tubes, one in each bath.
3. In empty test tubes, insert 1 ml of amylase. Insert one of these test tubes into each water bath without mixing the two test tubes, and allow 10 minutes only for the test tubes to heat.
4. After the ten minutes drop the iodine-potassium-iodide indicator solution to the test plate, and then mix the two solutions (starch and amylase) in each water bath.
5. Then use a pipette to transfer the mixed solution to the test plate that is holding the iodine-potassium-iodide, and record the time it takes for the solution to turn clear using a stopwatch, and record the results in a table.
6. Repeat this for each temperature condition and repeat this method for a total of 5 times for comparable results.
Raw …show more content…
In response to the research question, the extent to which temperature affects the enzymatic rate of reaction is high. As predicted in the experimental hypothesis, the rate of reaction was the quickest at 40 degrees Celsius (2:23 minutes). The slowest rate of reaction was at 20 degrees Celsius at 7:04 minutes. Using the three sources in the Bibliography of this report, I was able to notice that after the optimum temperature was reached (40 degrees) the rate of reaction began to slow down again in a process referred to as denaturation where the active site of the enzyme starts to change thus making it difficult to continue the lock and key model during reactions. After the enzyme is eventually denatured it will not be useful for its specific substrate again. Nevertheless, the results of the experiment correlate to the three sources below, which state that as the temperature increases, the rate of reaction will increase up until a certain point. This point is called optimum temperature and when the temperature exceeds the optimum the rate of reaction will take longer until denaturation. These ideas are shown in the graphical representation of the raw data table, therefore the experimental hypothesis can be accepted and the research question can be answered: There is a large extent to which the temperature of a solution has on