Effect of Temperature on Rate of Reaction

Effect of Temperature on Rate of Reaction The enzyme amylase digests starch to form sugar.Amylase is released in

the mouth and carries out the reaction at body temperature 37 degrees

centigrade.I will investigate the effects of temperatures higher and

lower than room temperature on the rate of this reaction.

Prediction

I think that the reaction will be fastest at 50 degrees centigrade

,because at body temperature reactions are carried out quickly but at

a higher temperaturem the enzyme and sugar particles will move faster

due to a larger amount of heat energy,the two substances will collide

more often therefore ,more reactoins.I believe that the reactions

willbe slowest at 60 degrees centigrade. During extremes of

temperatures,the active site of an enzyme changes ,the substrase will

not be able to react with the enzyme because enzymes are specific(only

react with certain shape substrase). The active site would become

denatured resulting in less reactions causingg the rate of digestion

to fall.

The enzyme has an active site that helps it to recognise its substrase

in a very specific way. Just like a key that only fits into a certain

lock , each enzyme has its own specific substrase.This is called the

lock and key theory,the diagram below shows this.

The digestion of carbohydrates is performed by various enzymes.

Amylase, found in saliva and in the intestine, breaks starch, dextrin,

and glycogen into maltose, a 12-carbon sugar.