Effects of Different pH Solutions on Lactase. Caitlin Hathaway, 2016, Functional Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666.
Enzymes work at different rates in different environments. We investigated the relationship between pH levels and the ability for the lactase enzyme to catalyze reactions. Lactase was added to different levels of pH with substrate and their subsequent rates of catalysis were measured. Out of the four samples, the experiment showed that the lactase was most efficient in pH 8, the least in pH 2 and 4, and was rather efficient in pH 10. We concluded that pH does have an effect on the efficiency of which an enzyme can catalyze substrates. Enzymes are one of the most important things in our bodies, catalyzing …show more content…
53). Humans only recently evolved the ability to consume dairy throughout their entire lives, while in the past only infants had this ability, as they depended on milk for survival (Vandenplas 1). As the number of people that are lactose-tolerant has now outnumbered the number of people that are lactose intolerant, we needed a label for each group of people. Thus, the term lactose intolerant was coined in the 1960’s, showing it was a very recent discovery (Lukito et al. 1). The number of lactose intolerant people has been steadily declining over the years, and for those that have the condition, there are products that contain the enzyme itself to help in digestion (Krüttli et al. …show more content…
The source of the enzyme was Lactaid, a popular supplement available over-the-counter in many stores. It is hypothesized that the lactase would function the best in pH 8, as this is the pH solution available during the experiment that is the closest to the pH of the small intestine, where lactase is naturally found in the human body. The experiment’s aim is to measure the absorbance of lactase in different pH environments to determine which of the available pH solutions is the most optimal for the enzyme to catalyze in. To begin, we crushed a Lactaid pill, our source of enzyme, with a mortar & pestle and mixed thoroughly 4.0 mL a phosphate buffer, which is used to keep the pH constant, and filtered it through a tissue into a separate beaker to create a base enzyme solution. Next, we labeled each test tube 1-4 and created the
Enzymes work at different rates in different environments. We investigated the relationship between pH levels and the ability for the lactase enzyme to catalyze reactions. Lactase was added to different levels of pH with substrate and their subsequent rates of catalysis were measured. Out of the four samples, the experiment showed that the lactase was most efficient in pH 8, the least in pH 2 and 4, and was rather efficient in pH 10. We concluded that pH does have an effect on the efficiency of which an enzyme can catalyze substrates. Enzymes are one of the most important things in our bodies, catalyzing …show more content…
53). Humans only recently evolved the ability to consume dairy throughout their entire lives, while in the past only infants had this ability, as they depended on milk for survival (Vandenplas 1). As the number of people that are lactose-tolerant has now outnumbered the number of people that are lactose intolerant, we needed a label for each group of people. Thus, the term lactose intolerant was coined in the 1960’s, showing it was a very recent discovery (Lukito et al. 1). The number of lactose intolerant people has been steadily declining over the years, and for those that have the condition, there are products that contain the enzyme itself to help in digestion (Krüttli et al. …show more content…
The source of the enzyme was Lactaid, a popular supplement available over-the-counter in many stores. It is hypothesized that the lactase would function the best in pH 8, as this is the pH solution available during the experiment that is the closest to the pH of the small intestine, where lactase is naturally found in the human body. The experiment’s aim is to measure the absorbance of lactase in different pH environments to determine which of the available pH solutions is the most optimal for the enzyme to catalyze in. To begin, we crushed a Lactaid pill, our source of enzyme, with a mortar & pestle and mixed thoroughly 4.0 mL a phosphate buffer, which is used to keep the pH constant, and filtered it through a tissue into a separate beaker to create a base enzyme solution. Next, we labeled each test tube 1-4 and created the