PROJECT 2 : ENZYME

Title : The Effect of  Amylase on Starchy Food

Introduction

            Enzymes are proteins that are folded up into complex shapes that allow smaller molecules to fit into them. Enzymes are catalysts that increase the rate of chemical reactions without being used up. Enzymes reactions are highly specific.  

Enzymes significantly speed up the rate of chemical reactions that take place within cells. Enzymes are important for life and serve a wide range of important functions in the body, such as aiding in digestion and metabolism. During digestion, some enzymes help break down large molecules into smaller molecules that are more easily absorbed by the body. For example, when the salivary enzymes amylase binds to starch, it catalyse the breakdown of a starch into a maltose.   

Materials

Starchy food, boiling tubes, test tubes, visking tubes, elastic bands, dimple title, thermometer, beaker containing warm water at 37℃, large beaker of boiling water, amylase, iodine, benedict reagent.

Method

Result:

Discussion

In this experiment, objective of this experiment is to investigating the effect of amylase on starchy foodstuff. Dialysis tubing also known as visking tubing, is a type of semi-permeable membrane tubing used in separation techniques that facilitates the removal or exchange of small molecules from macromolecules in solution based on differential diffusion. In this experiment, the visking tubing of the model gut represent the wall of the small intestine. While, the water in the boiling tube (outside the model gut) represent the blood in the blood vessels around intestine. This model is different from the situations in a real gut. In a real gut, food is moving through the tube, blood is circulating around the blood vessels and carrying away the absorbed food chemicals. In the real gut, the gut lining is folded into villi and microvilli and not in straight lining. Beside that, there are also mechanisms that can actively absorb some food chemicals, and there is more complicated mixture of food and enzymes in the intestine compared to the model. The body need enzyme to digest food because large polymer food molecules are too large to pass through the gut wall. Chemical digestion without catalyst is too slow to be useful. Specifically, we need glucose and other sugars as a ready source of energy in our bloodstream.

Based on this experiment, in each case, there is still starch inside the gut but no starch in the water outside. This experiment also show that there is presence of sugar either inside or outside the gut in test tube 2 and 3,but there is no presence of sugar inside and outside the gut in test tube 1(water). Other than that, this experiment also show that the treated amylase has an affect on starch in the biscuit, because it has not denatured completely by high temperature. The protein molecule still have its shape and still can work as catalyst to breaking down starch to sugar.

 

Question

    1.What does the Visking tubing of the model gut represent?

The visking tubing of the model gut represents the small intestine.

2.  What does the water in the boiling tube represent?

The water in the boiling tube outside the model gut represents blood vessels around the small intestine.

    3. How is this model different from the situation in real gut?

In a real gut, food is moving through the tube, blood is circulating around the blood vessels and carrying away the absorbed food molecules. The gut lining is highly folded into villi and microvilli to increase the total surface area, so that process of food absorption will occurs efficiently. 

    4. What has happened to the starch in each of your tubes?

In each case, there is still starch inside the gut, but no starch in the water

    5. What has happened to sugars in each of your tubes?

In tube 1 and 3, there is no sugar either inside or outside the gut. In tube 2, there is sugar inside and outside the gut. 

6. Why does the body need enzymes to digest food?

The body needs enzymes to digest food because undigested food molecules are too large to pass through the gut wall. 

7.What is your result with treated amylase? Explain.

The boiled amylase had no effect on the starch because it has been denatured by the high temperature.



Reference:
 

Mary K. Campbell, Shawn O. Farrell (2015) Biochemistry.8th Ed. Cengage Learning

Garret, R.H., & Grisham, C.M. (2013). Biochemistry (3rd ed.). USA: University of Virginia

Nelson, L.D and Cox, M.M. (2012) Principles in Biochemistry (6th Ed). Lehninger. W.H. Freeman. Reflection

1. TING MEE PING (D20141067055)
From this experiment, I have learnt that enzymes have many important functions in our body. One of function of enzymes in our body is aid in digestion of food. In our body, enzyme amylase breaks down starch into glucose. Glucose can be easily absorbed by body as it is small enough to pass through the wall of small intestine and blood vessels. Glucose is important energy source for our body. Without amylase, the breakdown of starch will be very slow. Without glucose, our body will feel weak.

2. CHRIS ROXA ANGELLA SUPAIN (D20141067094)
From this experiment that we had conduct, i had learnt to investigate enzyme action on foodstuff. Enzyme for example amylase which we can found in our saliva is important to digest starch. The food must be digested before it can be absorbed in the digestive system. Last but not least, I once again improve my scientific skills such as using apparatus during experiment. 

 3. LENDRA NALAT ( D20141067021)

In this experiment, I have learned that enzymes are biocatalysts that increase the rate of chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy of the reaction. Enzyme participate in the reaction but remain unchanged at the end of the reaction. Through this experiment, i also learned that enzyme activity can be affected by several factors such as pH, temperature and substrate concentration.