Digestion Protocol - Lab Report Example

Experiment 3: Benedicts Test for detection of reducing sugar in a solution Thus we can see that as the concentration of the reducing sugar increases in the Y axis, the colour of the solution changes. It initially begins with a blue color when there is no reducing sugar present in the solutionThe experimental solution gave an orangish red color which indicates a high concentration of reducing sugar in the solutionExperiment 4:Determination of sugar production from celluloseCellulose is a polysaccharide and amylase cleaves it to its component monosaccharide’s at the β-1,4 glycosidic linkage.

The protocol was followed as suggested.Color of Solution: Reddish orangeThe breakdown efficiency of amylase is it directly proportional to the color change it produces in the solution.Thus a reddish orange indicates good efficiencyHad it been green or yellow, indicates that the enzyme is old, lost activity or not stored properly provided the substrate is consistent.Cellulose is NOT digested by humans. The appendix initially harboured bacteria which aided in fermentation of cellulytic sugars.

Over the course of evolution, appendix has become vestigial as reliance on meat increased and any ingested cellulose is passed out as faeces.Experiment 5:Thus the color changed from lilac to pink progressively as the vinegar was added.On addition of sodium hydroxide, which is a strong base, the colour increased progressively to until the solution became purpleExperiment 7:Determination of Protein Digestion by PancreatinPepsin and Trypsin are examples of Proteases.Protein digestion takes place partially in the stomach and partially in the small intestine.

Experiment 8:Surface Area and DigestionThe test tube labeled entire gave a yellowish orange colorThe test tube labeled mashed gave an orangish red colorThus digestion is effecting with small particle size as the enzyme can penetrate its target sequence better in a smaller structure than a bulky one.The small intestine, which is specifically designed to maximize the digestion and absorption process, has an expanded surface area with inner folds, called plicae, villi and microvilli, to increase its surface area and enhance its ability to absorb nutrients.

All together, this surface is called the brush border of the small intestine. Some enzymes are present on the surface of the brush border, such as disaccharidases like sucrase, maltase, and lactose, which hydrolyze disugars (sugars composed of two monosaccharides) to their two individual sugar molecules.