The effect of pH on Fungal and Bacterial amylase.

Authors Avatar
The effect of pH on Fungal and Bacterial amylase.

INTRODUCTION

Amylase is a digestive enzyme systematized as a saccharidase (an enzyme that splits polysaccharides). It is mainly a composition of pancreatic juices and saliva, needed in order to break down long chain carbohydrate insoluble molecules (such as starch) into smaller soluble units.

Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up specific chemical reactions and are made up of globular proteins made and used by our bodies in human use. Enzymes are not only used in human natural processes they are also used in manufactured and industrialised areas such as in the making of bread, cheese, yoghurt, wine making etc. They are used in various forms of chemical reactions at temperatures suitable for in living organisms of between 4 and 40 C . Enzymes are vital for life as their deficiency in a reaction would cause very slow reactions to maintain life.

The chemical(s) which an enzyme works on is called the substrate. An enzyme combines with the substrate to form a temporary enzyme-substrate complex. The higher the amount of enzyme to substrate increases the chances of reactions. When the reaction occurs the substrate is broken down into products and yet the enzyme does not get used up and is free to work its cycle again.

There are certain factors which affect the rate at which these enzymes can work and these are temperature, substrate concentration, enzyme concentration and pH.

PH is a scale of 1-14 in which it contains chemicals which are acids and alkalis. It is scale which is determines the strength of the acid or alkali (pH 1 being strongest acid, pH 14 being strongest alkali and pH 7 being neutral). Acids are chemicals between pH 1-6 which donate H+ ions in aqueous solution and alkalis take away OH- ions away in aqueous solution.

Initially enzyme amylases breakdown starches into substances that can be absorbed by the body for use. Ptyalin is the name given to the amylase present in saliva where the digestion of starch happens first in the mouth.
Join now!


The function of amylase enzymes are to catalyse and hydrolyse of 1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic linkages of polysaccharides (amylose and amyl pectin) into a variety of products including maltose, dextrin and D-glucose etc. Amylases are obtained from animal, bacterial, fungal and plant sources such as barley, malt and fungi called Aspergillus oryzae. There are a few forms of amylases.

Eukaryotes are membrane bound nuclei cells with some membrane bound organelles. They carry out the processes of life. They are classified as animals, plants, protoctists and fungi. Fungi are a huge group of organisms that are ranged in ...

This is a preview of the whole essay