Investigating the Enzyme Amylase
Aim: To find out if the temperature has an affect on the time taken for an amylase enzyme to break down starch. ... Each one has a specific job that only that one enzyme can do. The amylase enzyme is in our salvia and pancreas and is vital for digesting. ... The enzyme attacks the enzyme molecule when it bumps it to it; it breaks it down the molecule because it’s easier for the stomach to digest it into smaller pieces and smaller pieces till it can finally extract all the energy it needs. It does this by having a specific shape that matches the substrate, in the amylase case its starch, they hook together like lock and key, in the enzymes there is a part called the active site each different enzyme has an unique shape that only that kind of enzyme substrate can only fit into it this is where the reaction takes place breaking it down, into smaller pieces. But the enzyme has an optimum temperature this is the temperature and PH that the enzyme works best at. ... Each enzyme has an optimal which is about 40 degrees because this is the average temperature of the human body temperature at which it works the amylase enzyme works best at body temperature.