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Starch and amylase

Amylase is an enzyme, which you can find in your mouth. It catalyses the hydrolysis of starch.

Rates of enzyme-catalysed reactions depend on pH and temperature. The optimum temperature is about 40^oC because the average human body temperature is 37^oC. The optimum pH is the neutral one because your mouth has a 7 pH.

You are going to do two types of experiment:

1. The effect of temperature on an enzyme reaction. You are going to look at the same reaction at different temperatures: 5^o, 25^o, 45^o and 65^oC.
2. The effect of pH on an enzyme reaction. You are going to look at the same reaction at different pH levels: 4, 7 and 10.

To measure whether the reaction takes place, you can use a Colorimeter. This Logbook (CM) can measure the transmission. Iodine and starch react to produce a dark blue colour so iodine may be used as an indicator to show the rate at which starch is broken down.

View and/or download the worksheet

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View and/or download the Datadisc file examples of this investigation.

45 ºC, 

65 ºC,  

pH 4.5,  

pH 7 , 

pH 10.

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