Write An Essay On The Effect Of Temperature On Alpha Amylase

This study focuses on the effect that temperature has on the enzyme amylase. Enzymes are composed of proteins and acts as a catalyst to speed up the rate of a specific chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy. Reactions do not need enzymes to occur, but the human body and other living organisms depend on the use of enzymes in order for biochemical reactions to happen in milliseconds. Each enzyme contains a distinct three dimensional structure which is related to its particular function. Enzymes will catalyze one specific chemical reaction since an enzyme’s unique three dimensional shape determines its active site in which only a precise substrate can form weak bonds to the enzyme. Once the substrate binds to the enzyme it allows the chemical reaction to continue. Enzymes function in the breaking down into multiple products, synthesize or add molecules, and rearranging molecules. During a reaction enzymes are not consumed but simply increase the rate of the chemical reaction (Whitesides and Wong, 1985). Amylase exists in the saliva of humans and certain mammals that catalyze the hydrolysis of starch into smaller carbohydrate molecules or sugars. Alpha-amylase is an abundant component of saliva in
The enzyme activity will increase due to an increase in velocity and kinetic energy in which the rate of collisions increases. If the change in temperature increase higher than body temperature the rate of the reaction will decrease since the heat will denature the enzyme. As the temperature decreases this will cause the reaction to slow down due to the lack of collisions (Somero, 1969). Like temperature enzymes are affected by changes in pH. The changes in pH can affect the shape of the enzyme due to the breaking of ionic bonds that are used to hold the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme in