You want to know whether alphaamylase is more active in the

You want to know whether alpha-amylase is more active in the stomach (pH 2) or the intestines (pH 7).

(a) How would you set up an experiment to test this?

Solution

a). Amylase is a digestive enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. This enzyme best acts at the pH range 6.7 to 7. With increase or decrease in pH, the enzymatic activity decreases.

We can test the effectiveness of alpha-amylase at two different pH values by simulating the stomach and intestinal pH environment in-vitro. In this experiment, the presence of starch and amylase is tested by the iodine test. If only starch is present, the sample turns dark brownish black, if amylase is present, it breaks down the starch and turn the iodine to yellowish white.

So, the colour change indicates the extent of starch breakdown, which further indicates the enzyme activity of amylase at different pH values.