Amylase Investigation

Amylase Investigation

Planning

We were asked to investigate how enzymes work in different conditions

for out investigation. Enzymes, also called catalysts, are in living

things and there are thousand of them. Enzymes break down food by the

active site on the Enzyme forming a chemical bond with a substrate and

then water attacks the substrate until it is hydrolysed (split in 2).

Enzymes are very specific as only one type of food will fit in a

particular Enzyme, this is called the lock and key affect.

We had to find out if Amylase breaks down starch faster or slower in

different situations and to alter one of its factors. I will do an

experiment to see if altering the temperature of Amylase will change

its rate of reaction. To change the temperature of the amylase I will

put it in a ice bath to get its temperature as low as possible and put

it in a hot water bath above a bunsen burner to make it get to

different temperatures above room temperature. I will do this by

putting 5cm³ of Amylase in a test tube and I will either heat it up or

cool it down to a certain temperature. Then I will add 10cm³ of Starch

to the Amylase and test the solution every 30 seconds until the

Amylase has broken down all of the starch. I can do this by filling a

palate with iodine and using a pipette to add some of the Amylase and

Starch solution every 30 seconds to one section. When the Amylase has

broken down the Starch the iodine won't change colour but when the

Amylase has still not broken down the Starch then the iodine will

change colour to a dark blue or black.

To make the experiment fair for every temperature I will use the same

amount of Amylase and Starch. I will also keep the 30 seconds interval

the same. The equipment that I used for the experiment is: -

[IMAGE]Hotter than room temperature Colder than room temperature

For the experiment I will use 5cm³ of Amylase and 10cm³ of Starch and