Exercise 8: Chemical and Physical Processes of Digestion: Activity 2: Exploring Amylase Substrate Specificity Lab Report

Pre-lab Quiz Results

You scored 80% by answering 4 out of 5 questions correctly.
1. Which of the following is true of enzymes and substrates?
You correctly answered: c. Enzymes are specific about the substrates they can act upon.
2. Which of the following is/are reducing sugars?
You correctly answered: e. both glucose and maltose
3. Cellulose and starch are both
Your answer : c. polysaccharides.
Correct answer: e. polymers of glucose and polysaccharides.
4. Proteins and peptides are formed by joining amino acids with a special type of covalent bond called a peptide bond.
Which of the following enzymes do you think would be specific for a peptide bond?
You correctly answered: c. peptidase
5. The Benedict's assay tests for the presence of
You correctly answered: c. reducing sugar.

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Experiment Results
Predict Question:
Predict Question: Do you think test tube 3 will show a positive Benedict's test?
Your answer : b. no
Stop & Think Questions:
You included tube 2 to
You correctly answered: b. see what a positive Benedict's test should look like.
Which tube is included to detect contaminating amylase in the buffer or in cellulose?
Your answer : c. tube 3
Correct answer: d. tube 4
What is the usual substrate for the pancreatic enzyme peptidase?
You correctly answered: d. peptides
Experiment Data:
Tube No.
1
2
3
4
5
6

Reagent 1
Amylase
Amylase
Amylase
Cellulose
Peptidase
Bacteria

Reagent 2
Starch
Glucose
Cellulose
Water
Starch
Cellulose

Reagent 3
pH 7.0
pH 7.0
pH 7.0
pH 7.0
pH 7.0
pH 7.0

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Time
60
60
60
60
60
60

Temp.
37
37
37
37
37
37

IKI
+
+
-

Benedict's
++
++
++

Post-lab Quiz Results

You scored 50% by answering 2 out of 4 questions correctly.
1. The substrate(s) for amylase is/are
You correctly answered: a. starch.
2. The results of tube 5 demonstrated that
You correctly answered: b. peptidase does not digest starch.
3. Why was the cellulose in tube 6 hydrolyzed to glucose?
Your answer: b. The bacterial suspension contained reducing sugars.
Correct answer: d. The bacterial suspension contained the enzyme cellulase, which digested the cellulose.
4. Can you detect the presence of contaminating amylase from your experiments?
Your answer: b. There was contaminating amylase because tube 4 was positive.
Correct answer: c. It is not possible to determine whether contaminating amylase is present because amylase doesn't digest
cellulose.

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Review Sheet Results

1. Describe why the results in tube 1 and tube 2 are the same.
You did not answer this question.
2. Describe the result in tube 3. How well did the results compare with your prediction?
You did not answer this question.
3. Describe the usual substrate for peptidase.
You did not answer this question.
4. Explain how bacteria can aid in digestion.
You did not answer this question.

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