Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity

University of Guyana

Faculty of Natural Sciences

Department of Chemistry

CHM 4103 – Inorganic Chemistry (Special Topics)

Lecturer: Prof. B. Tewari

Laboratory Exercise # 4

Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity

Shefali Seecharran

13/0705/1827

Date Submitted: 2014/11/09

LABORATORY EXERCISE # 4

TITLE: To determine the effect of temperature on enzyme activity

AIMS:

* To determine the effect of temperature on enzyme activity

* To determine the optimum temperature of Amylase activity

INTRODUCTION

Enzymes are biological catalysts that are of importance in biological systems. Like all catalysts enzymes lower the energy surplus required to initiate the reaction by providing an alternative route. However, for enzymes to perform their catalytic functions certain ideal conditions must be present for optimum functionality. In most cases conditions of temperature, pH and concentrations of enzyme and substrate affect enzymes.

In this experiment the effects of increasing temperature on the action of salivary amylase on starch solution was investigated at one minute intervals. Amylase is known to breakdown starch into its glucose monomer by hydrolysing the 1,4-glycosidic bonds of linkage between glucose units. The complete breakdown of starch can be detected by a negative test for starch with iodine. A negative test for starch is indicated when no more blue black starch-iodine complex is present and as a result the yellow colour of iodine will remain to indicate the complete hydrolysis of starch. The completion of the starch hydrolysis process is an indication that amylase is biologically active at that specific condition. The failure to complete the starch hydrolysis process is indicative that at that condition the enzyme has been inactivated or denatured. When all test samples were tested negative a plot was constructed so as to elucidate the effect of temperature on enzyme activity. From this plot the optimum temperature of amylase was...