Starch Breakdown Essay

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Introduction This report discusses an experiment to asses the chemical breakdown of starch into maltose (sugar) in the presence of the enzyme amylase, a digestive process within the body. Nutrients can be absorbed only when broken down to their monomers (small molecules that breakdown further to other molecules). Enzymes are large protein molecules produced by body cells. “They are biological catalysts, meaning they increase the role of a chemical reaction without themselves becoming part of the product. Digestive enzymes are hydrolytic enzymes. Their substances, or the molecules on which they act are organic food molecules which they breakdown by adding water to the molecular bonds, thus cleaving the bonds between the subunits or monomers. Digestive enzymes can function outside the body cells; their activity can be studied by test tubes (Marieb and Mitchell 2010). This experiment attempts to re-create the breakdown process that is normally done via digestion with Iodine as a vital component. It can be expected that once amylase reacts with the starch, maltose will then be broken down and less starch will be visible and more sugar will be apparent thus causing the solution mixed with iodine to become lighter and lighter. Materials and Methods Materials included: · · Rack of test tubes · Three spot plates · Hot plate · Large beaker for water bath · Amylase · Disposable droppers · Marker · Starch solution · Distilled water · IKI(dropper) · Benedict’s solution Method/Procedure 1. Identification of Starch To be able to identify the presence of starch, it was necessary to make a sample test by using IKI in wells on the spot plate. Three wells on the spot plate were filled with one drop of IKI each. In the first well two drops of water was mixed with the IKI to show what a negative

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