Lactase Lab

If someone is lactose intolerant, that means that they are lacking the enzyme lactase, so the lactose does not get broken down into galactose and glucose. If lactose goes undigested it creates many problems. It causes dehydrations because water and electrolytes get pulled into the intestines by the lactose, which acts like an osmotic agent. The result of the increased amount of lactose would be diarrhea, bloating, and gassiness. Although being lactose intolerant seems to be abnormal, it is actually natural. The production of the enzyme, lactase, is a mutation of the LTC gene, it allows us to produce lactase as adults. In all other mammals lactase is produced during infancy but not during adulthood.

What is overall maximal substrate concentration for lactase? Explain why the maximum initial reaction rate cannot be reached at low lactose concentrations.

3. Specifically state where in the intestine sucrase is likely to be most active (pH along GI tract).

These results shown from this experiment led us to conclude that enzymes work best at certain pH rates. For this particular enzyme, pH 7 worked best. When compared to high levels of pH, the lower levels worked better. The wrong level of pH can denature enzymes; therefore finding the right level is essential. The independent variable was the amount of pH, and the dependent being the rate of oxygen. The results are reliable as they are reinforced by the fact that enzymes typically work best at neutral pH

Given the background, we hypothesized that for the first experiment, the lactase will break down lactose in milk and have a similar effect to sucrose. We also predicted that the Milk + Lactase reactant would have more glucose, the Milk + Water reactant would have a little bit of glucose broken down, the Sucrose + Lactase reactant would have less glucose than the Milk + Water reactant, and the Sucrose + Water reactant would have little to no glucose at all. As for the first procedure of the second experiment, we had hypothesized the more basic the solution would become, then the more glucose there would be. Our prediction for the first procedure of the second experiment was that there would be no glucose found in the solutions containing pH 4 and pH 7. For the second procedure of the second experiment, our hypothesis was that glucose would be present in the reactants at 4ºC and 25ºC while the reactant that had been in the hot water bath at 100ºC would have little to no glucose because it would have evaporated. We predicted that for this temperature experiment, the glucose would evaporate at 100ºC and would remain at 4ºC and 25ºC. For the first experiment we had found that a reactant of Milk + Lactase have high levels of glucose, while the other three reactants do not. As for the second experiment, for the first procedure, amounts of glucose were found in

Lactase is a type of enzyme which aids the digestion of dairy products, by breaking down a type of disaccharide sugar called lactose into glucose and galactose (monosaccharides) through chemical reaction (Lactase Enzyme Oral). In this lab, though, the aim is to investigate the impact of pH levels on the activity of lactase enzymes, by measuring the concentration of only one of the monosaccharides

Enzymes are a key aspect in our everyday life and are a key to sustaining life. They are biological catalysts that help speed up the rate of reactions. They do this by lowering the activation energy of chemical reactions (Biology Department, 2011).

Enzymes are specific-type proteins that act as a catalyst by lowering the activation energy of a reaction. Each enzyme binds closely to the substrate; this greatly increases the reaction rate of the bounded substrate. Amylase enzyme, just like any other enzyme, has an optimum PH and temperature range in which it is most active, and in which the substrate binds most easily.

Effect of pH on Enzyme Activity. 1. Dependent Variable. amount of product (glucose and fructose) produced 2. Independent Variable. pH 3. Controlled Variables. temperature; amount of substrate (sucrose) present; sucrase + sucrose incubation time

The purpose of this experiment was to test and observe the numerous amounts of factors that influence the activity of the enzyme and that can be done by releasing oxygen gas in a fixed condition and change conditions one at a time.

Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose. Lactose is the sugar found in milk. It is made up of two monosaccharides: glucose and galactose. Therefore it is a disaccharide that needs to break down in order to be digested. However some people are “Lactose Intolerant” or lack lactase in their bodies. This means that they cannot consume lactose-contained food or drinks or they need help digesting it. People who are lactose intolerant must be very selective to make sure that they do not eat food or drinks with lactose. There are pills though, which are purchased by lactose intolerant people. This pill helps the people break down the sugar lactose into its smaller components.

Organisms cannot depend solely on spontaneous reactions for the production of materials because they occur slowly and are not responsive to the organism's needs (Martineau, Dean, et al, Laboratory Manual, 43). In order to speed up the reaction process, cells use enzymes as biological catalysts. Enzymes are able to speed up the reaction through lowering activation energy. Additionally, enzymes facilitate reactions without being consumed (manual,43). Each enzyme acts on a specific molecule or set of molecules referred to as the enzyme's substrate and the results of this reaction are called products (manual 43). As a result, enzymes promote a reaction so that substrates are converted into products on a faster pace (manual 43). Most enzymes are proteins whose structure is determined by its sequence of its amino acids. Enzymes are designed to function the best under physiological conditions of PH and temperature. Any change of these variables that change the conformation of the enzyme will destroy or enhance enzyme activity(manual, 43).

Enzymes function best when they are set at a specific temperature.

Introduction An enzyme is a catalytic molecule that speeds up reactions to a rate that limits at equilibrium. When a substance is going to have a reaction, it will require a activation energy and the enzyme lower that activation energy. The ability to do this comes from the substrate that the enzyme contains. In the enzyme molecule, there are active sites where it can interact with a substrate and then catalyzes reactions.

The objective of the lab was to examine the effects of environmental variables on the functions of an enzyme. To the point, an experiment was conducted to test the effect of pH on the function of the enzyme Amylase.