Question

several students set up an investigation to test the effectiveness of an enzyme at breaking down three different disaccharides.

three test tubes where set us as described below:
test tube 1: 5 ml of sugar a and 1 ml of enzyme
test tube 2: 5ml of sugar b and 1 ml of enzyme
test tube 3: 5ml of sugar c and 1 ml of enzyme

all test tubes were incubated at 37oc (human body temperature) for five minutes then tested for the presence of disaccharides and monosaccharides.

the results are shown below:

which can be concluded from their data?

• the enzyme was effective at breaking down sugar a
• the enzyme was effective at breaking down sugar b
• the enzyme was effective at breaking down sugar c
• the enzyme was effective at breaking down all three sugars tested

Explanation:

Analyze the experimental setup

The experiment tests an enzyme's ability to break down three disaccharides: Sugar A, Sugar B, and Sugar C. Breaking down a disaccharide (a complex carbohydrate) yields Monosaccharides (simple sugars) through hydrolysis.

Interpret the results table

• Test Tube 1 (Sugar A): Disaccharides are still "Present" and monosaccharides are "Not Present". This means no breakdown occurred.
• Test Tube 2 (Sugar B): Disaccharides are still "Present" and monosaccharides are "Not Present". No breakdown occurred.
• Test Tube 3 (Sugar C): Disaccharides are "Not Present" and monosaccharides are "Present". This indicates complete breakdown of the disaccharide into monosaccharides.

Evaluate the enzyme's effectiveness

Since monosaccharides only appeared in Test Tube 3, the enzyme successfully catalyzed the breakdown of Sugar C. This demonstrates Enzyme Function and specificity, as it was only effective on one of the three sugars.

Match with the options

• Option 1: Incorrect, Sugar A was not broken down.
• Option 2: Incorrect, Sugar B was not broken down.
• Option 3: Correct, the enzyme successfully broke down Sugar C.
• Option 4: Incorrect, it was only effective on Sugar C.

Answer:

• The enzyme was effective at breaking down Sugar A
• The enzyme was effective at breaking down Sugar B
• The enzyme was effective at breaking down Sugar C (Correct answer)
• The enzyme was effective at breaking down all three sugars tested