How does temperature affect the rate at which amylase breaks down starch?

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Aisling Lavelle

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How does temperature affect the rate at which amylase breaks down starch?

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My plan is to find out what temperature is most ideal for amylase to break down starch at, and how fast it can break down starch at this temperature.  I predict that the colder the temperature, the slower the reaction between the starch and amylase will be.  The hotter the temperature the quicker the reaction will be.

Enzymes are the catalysts of chemical reactions taking place in living organisms. Each Enzyme is a protein that catalysts a particular reaction. Enzymes break down bigger molecules into smaller ones.  Amylase is an enzyme found in saliva that helps to break down starch.  Starch is a  reserve form of glucose that is produced when there is excess photosynthesis taken place in plants, and when it is broken down it tastes like glucose.  This is why when you chew a piece of bread it tastes sweet after a few seconds:  the amylase has broken down the starch into maltose.

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From the preliminary tests I found it to be most informative to use 20ml of starch with 10ml of amylase.  At first I tried 30ml of amylase with 10ml of starch but I found that the solution went clear straight away.  I also found it to be more accurate to use just

 one drop of iodine rather than 2 or 3 because then it is easier to distinguish between starch that is nearly digested and starch that is completely digested.

Apparatus that will be used:

Amylase solution

Starch solution

Beakers

Pipette

Stopwatch

Test tube rack

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