Question

A group of students decided to carry out an investigation to find out how enzyme activity is affected by temperature changes. They put samples of salivary amylase and starch into two test tubes. Salivary amylase is an enzyme that breaks down starch into maltose. Its optimum temperature for activity is around 37 degrees Celsius. What do you think happened to the rate of reaction when they increased the temperature of the first test tube to 37 degrees Celsius?

a) Increased.
b) Decreased.
c) Remained the same.
d) Stopped completely.

Answer 1

When the temperature of the first test tube was increased to 37 degrees Celsius, the rate of reaction would increase.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the temperature of the first test tube was increased to 37 degrees Celsius, the rate of reaction would increase.

Temperature affects enzyme activity, and generally, an increase in temperature increases the rate of a chemical reaction. This is because more molecules have the necessary energy to overcome the activation energy barrier at higher temperatures.

For enzymatic reactions, including the breakdown of starch by salivary amylase, the rate of reaction increases as the temperature rises, up to a certain point known as the optimum temperature. At around 37 degrees Celsius, which is the optimum temperature for salivary amylase, the enzyme functions most effectively and the rate of reaction is highest. Beyond this temperature, the enzyme's structure may start to deteriorate, and its activity may decrease or even stop completely.