| Having made a breakthrough in my investigation | | | | A possible theory of mine is that because humans |
| into salivary amylase (my own) compared with | | | | cook their food, particularly starchy foods such as |
| industrial amylase cultured from both fungal and | | | | pasta and rice, salivary amylase has adapted over |
| bacterial sources, i thought i should share it with | | | | time to cope in hotter enviroments as cooked |
| the world rather than use it for exam only | | | | food will raise the temperature of the mouth |
| purposes | | | | considerably while eating. Also human body |
| During the course of the experiment, the samples | | | | temperature does not fall below 37 degrees |
| were added in 2cm^3 volumes to wells cut in 1% | | | | centigrade unless in a state of hypotermia so |
| starch plates to monitor activity at different | | | | salivary amylase has not adjusted to function at |
| temperatures.The plates were all incubated for 48 | | | | lower temperatures. |
| hours to give the amylase enough time to show | | | | I also conducted the same experiment at |
| marked results. The plates were then flooded | | | | different pH's. Although the industrial enzymes |
| with iodine and the clear areas marked the area in | | | | were supposed to function at pH's 3-9, pH 3 |
| which the amylase had completely broken up the | | | | yielded no results for bacterial, fungal or salivary |
| starch molecules to smaller sugars. | | | | amylase. pH7 yeilded the best results and pH 9 |
| The human amylase showed no difference at | | | | produced faily good measurable results although |
| room temperature and body temperature but | | | | the activity had decreased by half compared with |
| when incubated at 60 degrees centigrade, the | | | | pH 7 which is very close to the pH of saliva. All |
| activity of the enzyme doubled which contradicts | | | | these plates were incubated at body temperature |
| previous thoughts that the optimum temperature | | | | as only one variable was introduced to this stage |
| for human salivary amylase was body | | | | of the experiment. |
| temperatue at 37 degrees centigrade. When | | | | This experiment has proved that the optimum pH |
| refridgerated at approximately 5 degrees | | | | for amylase is pH7 and that the optimum |
| centigrade the activity decreased by half in all | | | | temperature is 60 degrees centigrade. |
| samples, bacterial, fungal and salivary amylase. | | | | |