Carbohydrates are long chains of simple sugars. Made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen: CHO
Lipids are made of glycerol and three fatty acids. Made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen: CHO
Enzymes are biological catalysts, they're specialized proteins that speed up biological reactions, such as digestion, without becoming chemically involved. They are adapted to work in ideal conditions depending on where they should be, for example human enzymes work at an optimum temperature of around 37 ℃, because this is average body temperature.
Protease in the stomach, and enzyme that breaks down proteins into amino acids, works at an optimum pH of 2, which is the acidity of the hydrochloric acid found in the stomach, however salivary amylase, found in the mouth, is denatured in these conditions as the mouth is much less acidic.
An enzyme will become denatured in extremes of pH, as well as high temperatures. Low temperatures will not denature the enzyme, but will slow it so it isn't able to work efficiently.
These two graphs depict enzyme activity based on temperature and pH:
Optimum temperature of enzymes can be found by completing the following experiment:
1. Mixing amylase (protein that breaks down carbohydrates into glucose) with starch in test tubes, and placing them in water baths of varying temperatures (should be regular intervals).
2. Testing samples for starch with iodine every 30 seconds
3. Record how long it takes for the iodine to test negative for starch, this is when the amylase has broken down all or most of the starch.
Graph the results to determine the optimum temperature.
Iodine is an orange-brown colour, but turns black-blue when exposed to starch. This is how we test for starch.
Benedict's solution is blue in colour, but when heated with a simple sugar such as glucose, it turns red. This is how we test for glucose.
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