100 likes | 563 Views
Lactase- The enzyme that would cry over spilt milk. What is lactase?. Enzyme responsible for breaking down the disaccharide lactose into the monosaccharides glucose and galactose. Where do we have lactase?. Lactase is found in the villi of our small intestines. Optimum Temp & pH.
E N D
What is lactase? • Enzyme responsible for breaking down the disaccharide lactose into the monosaccharides glucose and galactose
Where do we have lactase? • Lactase is found in the villi of our small intestines
Optimum Temp & pH • Optimum pH: 6 • Optimum temperature: 25oC
Lactase deficiency • In humans, lactase is encoded by the LCT gene • A deficiency in this gene causes lactose intolerance • Lactase pills are available commercially • Commercial lactase is extracted from yeast and fungi
Other use of Lactase • Lactase is also used to make ice cream • Adding lactase makes ice cream taste sweeter • Lactase crystallizes at low temps but the glucose and galactose remain dissolved giving ice cream a smoother texture
Your mission! • Design an experiment that measures lactase activity!!! • What is available to you? • Three brands of lactase • Three different solutions • Milk • Sucrose solution • Water • Benedict’s Solution • When this solution is incubated at 95oC, glucose with turn the solution a tan/red color • Blue or white colors mean no glucose
Data/Results/Conclusion • Your group should create a table that will show the color of each of your test tubes after incubation with Benedict’s solution and whether that color means the enzyme was active or not for data • Results should be a short paragraph describing your data- what worked best? What worked least? • Conclusion must discuss your results in context of your hypothesis. Discuss two things that you learned from this lab and come up with a new genetics based treatment for lactase deficiency