Lactase in
Action
By:
Tamar Cohen
and Eva
Bendel
8th Grade
Tamar Cohen and Eva Bendel Science
Fair
Question:
Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose, which
your body then uses for energy. How does lactase work and how does pH affect
the digestion of lactase?
Hypothesis:
Lactose with lactase in it will test positive for glucose. If the pH is too acidic or too
basic there will be less or no glucose.
Methods and Materials:
Part 1: First we tested how lactase works. The lactase breaks down lactose into
glucose, which your body then uses for energy. In order to test if the lactase
works, we set up 3 cups. The first cup had just milk, the second cup had milk and
one crushed up lactase pill and the third cup had milk and two crushed up lactase
pills. We let it sit for a little then we used glucose test strips to test the glucose,
because if there is glucose, it means the lactase worked and it broke down the
lactose into glucose.
Part 2: Next, we tested if the amount of glucose produced will change if the pH
level is changed. In order to test this, we set up four cups. The first cup had just
milk, the second cup had milk and baking soda, the third cup had milk and
vinegar, and the fourth cup had milk and lemon juice. We tested the pH of these
solutions, then we put one crushed up lactase pill in each solution. We waited a
few minutes and then we used glucose test strips to test if more or less glucose
was produced at different pH levels.
Results:
Part 1: The cup that contained just milk had no glucose, the cup that had one
lactase pill had 300 milligrams per deciliter of glucose, and the cup with two
lactase pills also had 300 milligrams per deciliter of glucose.
Part 2: The cup with just milk had a pH of 6, the cup with milk and baking soda
had a pH of 8, the cup with milk and vinegar had a pH of 4, and the cup with milk
and lemon juice had a pH of 3.
We added a crushed lactase pill to each. The cup with milk produced 300
milligrams per deciliter of glucose, the cup with milk and baking soda produced 0
milligrams per deciliter of glucose. The cup with milk and vinegar produced 300
milligrams per deciliter of glucose, and the cup with milk and lemon juice
produced 0 milligrams per deciliter of glucose.
Discussion:
Part 1: The cup with just milk had no glucose because it’s just lactose. The cup
with one crushed up lactase pill and the cup with two lactase pills had the same
amount of 300 milligrams per deciliter of glucose because the lactase broke down
the lactose into glucose and galactose. The reason they had the same amount of
glucose even though one had two lactase pills is because lactase is an enzyme and
enzymes are catalysts which means they help chemical reactions without being
used up, so even a smaller amount of lactase will break down the milk.
Part 2: The cup with milk which had a pH of 6 which is neutral had a regular
amount of glucose. The cup with baking soda had a pH of 8. Baking soda is a base,
and lactase works in the stomach and small intestine, and there aren’t a lot of
basic substances in the digestive system. Because the baking soda was basic, and
basic compounds can damage enzymes like lactase, it did not produce any
glucose. The milk with vinegar had a pH of 4. The milk with vinegar produced 300
milligrams per deciliter of glucose. Vinegar is acidic, and acids are found in the
digestive system, so the lactase enzyme is not affected by the acidic vinegar. The
milk with lemon juice had a pH of 3. Although acidic substances usually do not
affect enzymes, the lemon juice was too acidic, so the lactase did not work, and
the glucose was 0.
Summary:
In conclusion, in the first part of the experiment, there was glucose in the milk
with lactase because the lactase broke down the milk into glucose and galactose.
In the second part of the experiment, there was glucose in the milk with lactase
and the milk and vinegar with lactase because it wasn’t too basic or acidic and
there was no glucose in the milk and lemon juice with lactase because it was too
acidic and no glucose in the milk and baking soda with lactase because it was too
basic.