CHEMBIO3L - BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY

LABORATORY EXPERIMENT NO. 4

DIGESTION EXPERIMENT
NAME: ______________________________________________DATE:___________
COURSE/YEAR/BLOCK: ____________________________

The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into
energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body. Food passes through a long tube inside
the body known as the alimentary canal or the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). The
alimentary canal is made up of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small
intestine, and large intestine (Taylor, 2020). In addition to the alimentary canal, there
are several important accessory organs that help your body to digest food but do not
have food pass through them. Accessory organs of the digestive system include the teeth,
tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. There are six key processes of
the digestive system. The first key process is ingestion, where food enters the mouth.
Then mechanical digestion occurs, chewing the food and mixing it with the first
digestive enzyme, salivary amylase, which breaks down carbohydrates. Next is
propulsion, which is the act of swallowing, refers to the movement of food through the
digestive tract (Lang, 2013). After that, through chemical digestion, food is broken down
into “small organic and inorganic molecules suitable for absorption by the digestive
epithelium” (Martini et al., 886). Secretion occurs next where acids, water, enzymes,
buffers, and salts are released. Then comes absorption, where the absorbed materials
enter the interstitial fluid. Lastly, defecation is where waste is eliminated from the body.
Digestion is important because your body needs nutrients from food and drink to
work properly and stay healthy. Enzymes play an important role in the digestive system
by breaking down food into molecules for a wide range of bodily functions and are
essential for healthy digestion. Digestion first occurs in the mouth, where we see the first
enzyme, amylase, come into play. Amylase is secreted by both the salivary glands and
the pancreas and is essential for the digestion of carbohydrates; it breaks down starches
into sugars. The next enzyme, pepsin, is secreted by the stomach and breaks down
proteins into peptides, or smaller groupings of amino acids, that are either absorbed or
broken down further in the small intestine (Bolen, 2020). Lipase is also produced in the
stomach and is responsible for the breakdown of fats into fatty acids and glycerol (simple
sugar alcohol).
Sometimes the digestive system can malfunction and cause some health
conditions. One health condition is called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
GERD is a long-term condition where acid from the stomach comes up into the
esophagus. Another common condition is known as gallstones. Gallstones are hard
deposits that form in your gallbladder — a small, pear-shaped sac that stores and secretes
bile for digestion. Gallstones can form when there’s too much cholesterol or waste in
your bile, or if your gallbladder doesn’t empty properly. Gallstones block the ducts
leading from your gallbladder to your small intestine, which causes infection or sharp
pain in your upper-right abdomen (Orenstein,2020).
Objective: The purpose of this lab activity was to examine the effects of digestive
enzymes on their specific substances and observe the effects of environmental influences
on digestion.

Materials:
10 test tubes with holder Water bath
150mL beaker Test tube holders
Hotplate Thermometer Droppers
Reagents:
Iodine solution Starch solution Pepsin

Methods:
Starch Digestion Experiment:
The starch digestion experiment was done in two parts. The first part of the experiment
tested the digestion of starch by salivary amylase. The second part of the experiment
tested how temperature affects the amount of time it takes for starch to become salivary
amylase.

1. In the first part, 2 test tubes were filled with a starch solution using a dropper.
Equal amounts of iodine were then added to both test tubes to show that they
contained starch. A spoon of amylase was then added to test tube 2. Both test
tube 1 and 2 were set into a beaker with 150 mL of water on top of a hot plate to
warm up. After warming, both tubes were compared. To check if the starch in
test tube 2 had been digested by the amylase into simple sugars, a Benedict’s test
was performed. Some of the digested solution in test tube 2 was put into a test
tube containing Benedict’s Solution and heated using a Bunsen burner.

2. For the second part of this experiment, 5 beakers with water were set up and
heated to the temperatures: 20°C, 40°C, 50°C, 60°C, and 80°C using a
thermometer. Then, 5mL of starch was added to 5 different test tubes each
labelled S20, S40, S50, S60, and S80. After that, 5mL of amylase was added to
5 different test tubes labelled A20, A40, A50, A60, A80. Each test tube was then
added to its respective water bath depending on its corresponding number. All of
the test tubes were allowed to equilibrate for 5 minutes in their water baths. After
equilibrating, S20 was mixed with A20 and then a timer was set. Every 30
seconds, a drop of the new mixture would be added to a well filled with iodine
until the reaction stopped and there was no color change anymore. The results
were recorded and the same procedure was then conducted for all of the
remaining test tubes.
Protein Digestion:
1. To test the digestion of lipids by pepsin, 5 test tubes were given 5 cubes of egg
whites that were about the same size. Test tube 1 then received 2mL of water.
Only test tubes 2, 3, and 4 received 2mL of pepsin solution. Test tubes 2 and 4
were additionally given 2 drops of hydrochloric acid. Only test tube 5 received
2mL of an amylase solution. Test tubes 1, 3, 4, and 5 were incubated for about
half an hour in warm water for 30 min, while test tube 2 was kept at room
temperature. After the half an hour was up, the tubes were shaken to observe any
visible suspensions left by the egg white. All observations were then recorded.

Results/Data:
Table 1: Results of Salivary Amylase Digestion of Starch

Test tube Starch Iodine Amylase Color of Mixed with

present ? present ? present? solution benedict?
after being
heated?

Table 2: Results for the Effect of Temperature on Salivary Amylase Digestion of Starch
Test Tube Contents Temperature Time Until Reaction Ends

1 Amylase 20°C
Starch

2 Amylase 40°C
Starch

3 Amylase 50°C
Starch

4 Amylase 60°C
Starch

5 Amylase 80°C
 Starch

Table 3: Results of Protein Digestion

Test Tube Contents Temperature Reaction Observed After ½ Hour

1 Egg Warm
Water
2 Egg Cold
Pepsin
HCl
3 Egg Warm
Pepsin
4 Egg Warm
Pepsin
HCl

5 Egg Warm
Amylase

QUESTIONS:

1. Reviewing your data, what do you think happens to salivary amylase once you
swallow your saliva? Explain.

2. What effect does cooking have on enzyme activity? Why?

3. What can you conclude about the pH optimum for pepsin? Where in the body might
you find this pH?
4. Compare the effects of HCl on protein digestion by pepsin with the effects of HCl
on starch digestion by salivary amylase. Explain the physiological significance of
these effects