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Yeast Enzyme Lab Report

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Did you know the name enzyme means "in yeast"? All humans have over 5000 different enzymes in their bodies, which are super molecules such as a polymer and protein that act as catalysts in a reaction. Without regulation by enzymes, chemical traffic through the pathways of metabolism would become congested because many of the chemical reactions would take such a long time” (Campbell Biology 151).
The temperature, pH, and folding process in amylase is crucial to the way it functions in a reaction (Enzyme Activity II). How an enzyme folds is determined by interactions between the amino acids within the enzyme (Enzyme activity II). Interactions between hydrophobic groups, different charges, and hydrogen bonds protect enzymes so that the enzyme …show more content…

The amylase enzyme is produced by your pancreas gland to help make saliva. Pancreatic amylase completes digestion of carbohydrate, producing glucose, a small molecule that is absorbed into your blood and carried throughout your body (Marie 1). The amount of time it takes an enzyme to break down starch into sugars depends on the conditions of the solution. If the pH is too high or too low the enzyme won’t break the starch down. If the temperature is different than the specific circumstances of the enzyme, then either it will take a longer amount of time, or it will not break the starch down at all. The conditions have to be perfect for the specific enzymes to have the fastest rate of the …show more content…

There are thousands of different enzymes in our bodies but one of the main starch-converting enzymes is the amylase family. This enzyme is present in our saliva and pancreas to break down the carbohydrates in our bodies. These enzymes are usually quite consistent, but they have to be in the right environment for them to work.
Hypothesis: Amylase enzymes will have the fastest reaction in temperatures and pH’s that corresponds to our body temperature and pH. So in essence, amylase will have the fastest reaction at 98 degrees (F) and a pH of 7. As the reaction temperature of amylase solution and starch increase, the reaction rate of amylase and starch will increase.
Investigation: To test this hypothesis we will put starch solution and a buffer in different tubes, using pipette that have different temperatures and pH solutions. After the enzyme is added to the different test tubes, begin timing as soon as you add the amylase enzyme to your solution and we will time how long the different test tubes take to break down the starches into sugars.

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