Amylase Investigation

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Amylase Investigation

* Hypothesis

I predict that as the temperature increases, the speed of the reaction

will increase. When a particular temperature is reached I believe the

rate of reaction will dramatically decrease. I believe this because

most chemical reaction happens faster when the temperature is higher.

At higher temperatures molecules mover around faster, which makes it

easier for them to react together. Usually, a rise of 10OC will double

the rate of reaction. This is true for enzymes up to about 40OC.

However at 40OC the enzyme begins to be damaged, so the reaction slows

down. By 60OC the enzyme is completely denatured. I predict that the

same will happen the further away the pH is from pH 7. I believe this

because the optimum temperature for most enzymes is about pH 7

therefore the further away from pH 7 (either more alkaline or more

acidic) the less affective the enzyme.

* Pilot Experiment

To investigate the factors affecting the activity of the enzyme

Amylase, I will adapt a pilot experiment, which investigates if the

enzyme amylase breaks down starch. The pilot experiment was:

* Pour amylase solution into a test tube to a depth of 2cm.

* Half fill another test tube with a 4% starch solution.

* With a pipette place a drop of iodine into each dimple in a dimple

tray.

* With a glass rod lift a drop of the starch solution from the test

tube and mix it with the first drop of iodine in the first dimple in

the tray. A blue/black colour should develop; this will be used as the

control.

* Rinse the glass rod.

* Pour amylase solution into the test tube of starch and shake

quickly.

* Repeat steps 4 ...

... middle of paper ...

...ting the

experiment. However, they should have been left in the water bath for

about 30 minutes so that the amylase had been completely affected by

the temperature before the experiment was started.

I decided to conduct the experiment at 10 OC intervals instead of 5 OC

because there was not enough time. When the results were collected I

plotted them on a rough graph to find the optimum temperature and then

conduct the experiment at this temperature to ensure it was the

optimum temperature. I also conducted all three experiments for each

condition at the same time to save time.

Additional work, which could be carried out, is to repeat the

experiment using, a wider range of temperatures and pH levels, a range

of different starch solution concentrations or using different enzymes

such as protease with a protein.

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