The Role of Enzymes in Food Digestion

Objective

Explore the role of enzymes in the digestion process by testing the effect of different digestive enzymes on a food substrate.

Materials

• Test tubes
• Milk (substrate)
• Enzymes (e.g., amylase, protease, lipase)
• Dropper
• Water bath or thermometer
• Stopwatch
• Notebook for observations

Instructions

1. Label the test tubes for each enzyme type.
2. Pour equal amounts of milk into each test tube.
3. Add a few drops of amylase to one test tube, protease to another, and lipase to the third.
4. Place the test tubes in a water bath set to a specific temperature (e.g., 37°C) or monitor and maintain the temperature manually.
5. Use a stopwatch to time the reaction for each enzyme.
6. Observe and note any visible changes in the milk, such as curdling or separation.
7. Record the results in a notebook, including the time taken for digestion and the extent of the changes observed.
8. Analyze the results to understand the effectiveness of each enzyme in breaking down milk components.