Effect of Alpha-galactosidase on Digestive System

Effect of Alpha-galactosidase on Digestive System Janaaron Aquino    The Effect of the Enzyme, Alpha-galactosidase inside Beano, on the Digestive System Problem To use the alpha-galactosidase enzyme in Beano to examine the effect of the enzyme in the digestive system at different temperatures and to find the glucose concentration at those temperatures which represents the efficiency of the enzyme under the various temperatures. If different temperatures of Beano solution are tested, then the temperatures closest to human body temperature will extract more glucose than other temperatures because of the fact that the human body has adapted to operate at an optimum temperature. Background The human body has several complex systems that fulfill essential goals the human needs to survive. Each system has a different procedure for the body and works individually or with other systems to perform that action. One of the human body systems is the digestive system. There are several steps that come into play when discussing the system, but in short, the  digestive system turns the food that humans eat into energy. In the digestive system, parts and organs include salivary glands, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Digestion is the breakdown of large food particles into smaller molecules that are easy to absorb into the bloodstream (Gureco, 2015).This experiment focuses solely on the transfer of glucose from food consumed into the body. What does this food do for the human body? The path of the food being digested is as followed. When food enters the mouth saliva helps break it down. It goes down the esop hagus and enters the stomach where it is broken down further by acid in order to be able to extract nutrients from the food. It enters the small intestine where the nutrients are absorbed and goes through the large intestine where water is absorbed in order to create a stool (defecation) so that it can exit the body via the anus. Digestion occurs in which the rate and extent of sugar release from available carbohydrates, by simulating physiological processes occurring in the mouth, stomach and small intestine (Woolnough, 2010). The focal point of this experiment is to examine the glucose concentration with the help of alpha-galactosidase which all takes place in the path of digestion. To start off, the food (or food solution) used in this experiment was a solution of broken down refried beans. The enzyme Beano was used specifically for this experiment because, as the name suggests, Beano is made specifically for digestive assistance with beans. Beans have a tendency to cause stress in the human digestive system. The Beano was used with the refried beans to digest the beans easily. This allows an easy pathway for the glucose to be broken down and for the human body to absorb the glucose. According to a journal abstract written by RJ Levin, The glucose, galactose, and fructose produced are absorbed across the e nterocytes [cell of the intestine] of the upper half of the villus [increase of surface area in order to absorb more nutrients] (Levin, 1994) In more specific terms, foods are carbohydrates called oligosaccharides. In the case of this experiment, refried beans were used as the oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides are groups of two to ten monosaccharides bonded together to form the carbohydrate. When entering the body, the enzyme called salivary amylase (most commonly known as human saliva) starts the chemical process of digestion of food. The enzyme breaks down the oligosaccharide carbohydrate polymers into monomers called monosaccharides. When oligosaccharides are broken down by digestion, a monomer called monosaccharides are produced. This is because multiple saccharide polymers are broken down into a simple sugar. Included in a humans digestive system are living microbes in the large intestine that carry out the process of breaking down the carbohydrates. These microbes in human in testines are necessary because the body needs to break down the food into monosaccharides to obtain the nutrients needed for processes such as cell repair, growth, and most importantly energy. The breaking down of the oligosaccharides are essential because The biological roles of oligosaccharides appear to span the spectrum from those that are trivial, to those that are crucial for the development, growth, function or survival of an organism (Varki, 1993). However, the refried beans mentioned have starch in which these microbes produce an uncomfortable and bloated feeling like the aforementioned stress that beans cause. Although the following experiment was done on a different species an abstract suggests that mammals that consume soybeans may suffer from a gastrointestinal hypersensitive reactions involving major disturbances in digestive functions (Sissons, 1982). The use of Beano in this experiment examines the effect of the alpha-galactosidase at varying temperatures as the inde pendent variable which assists the digestion of refried beans. The alpha-galactosidase is used to pinpoint the temperature in which glucose concentration is high or low as the dependent variable. Data  and  Observations      Ã‚   Figure Results  and  Discussion The graph illustrates several temperatures in which the solution of Beano and refried beans were tested. Similarities and differences can be observed across multiple of the Beano solution mixtures at the varying temperatures. Some of the lines that represent each temperature stand out more than others. It can clearly be seen that relatively high temperatures of the refried bean solution and Beano cannot extract much glucose from the solution itself. High temperatures that did not have a high glucose concentration included temperatures that ranged from 60oC to 90oC whose maximum glucose concentration did not reach over 0.50%. This outcome can also be predicted for any temperature higher than those experimented with because if 90oC did not extract any glucose, anything higher will do the same. The same outcome can be seen with the lesser temperature of 30oC, in which the concentration of glucose did not reach over 0.50% in the course of 25 minutes. Relatively high and low temperatures of refried bean and Beano solution extracted glucose at a lower rate or did not extract any glucose at all. In comparison, two temperatures of the solution stood out more than the others. The Beano solution skyrocketed at temperatures of 40oC and 50oC. It is clear that these two temperatures were different from the others. The reason behind it? Well the optimum temperature for digestion ranges from 37oC and 44oC. Relatively close to the aforementioned temperatures of the solution, is it not? This is because body temperature is approximately 37oC and this is the temperature in which the body functions best. Temperature gets too hot? Humans get a fever. Temperature gets too low? Humans start to internally develop hypothermia. Both indicate that the body is not fully functional. The temperature of 37oC is closer to 40oC than it is to 50oC. Figure 1 indicates that the Beano solution at 40oC had a higher slope which exemplifies the fact that digestion works best when near the body temperature of approximately 37oC. According to a news website, The body has sensors with memory, or its linked to the brain, and immediately it sense the food in the stomach has temperatures and pH outside the optimum range, it uses the energy and acids stored in the body to regulate the right conditions for the optimum digestion. This further exemplifies why the Beano solution of 40oC and 50oC worked best compared to the other five temperatures. The experiment proves the efficiency and effectivity of alpha-galactosidase inside Beano impacts the rate of glucose concentration of refried bean solution at varying temperatures of 30oC to 90oC. Analysis Oligosaccharides are groups of two to ten monosaccharides bonded together to form a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are found in all foods that a human consumes. They consist of the sugars, starches, and fibers found in food and are made primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. When oligosaccharides are broken down by digestion, a monomer called monosaccharides are produced. This is because multiple saccharide polymers are broken down into a simple sugar (monosaccharide). The enzyme called salivary amylase breaks down these carbohydrate polymers called oligosaccharides into monomers. Salivary amylase, which is also known as saliva, breaks down starch when chewing food. As food is consumed, saliva inside the mouth starts the process of digestion by breaking down the food as humans chew. This allows the food to be broken down for glucose extraction and also breaking down the food for the esophagus. If food were not to be chewed, it cannot enter the esophagus and if it does, it will be difficult to swallow which can lead to respiratory injuries. In the human body, intestines have microbes that fulfill certain needs for the digestive system. These microbes in human intestines are necessary because the body needs to break down the food into monosaccharides to obtain the nutrients needed for processes such as cell repair, growth, and most importantly energy. In all, digestion is essentially important because of the advantages it gives to us in the form of energy. Without the energy produced from consuming, a human body cannot be fully functional. In the experiment, the enzyme, Beano, worked most efficiently at a temperature of about  40oC. As mentioned in discussion, this is because the optimum temperature for human digestion is approximately 37oC. That temperature is linked to the brain as a the human body temperature in which the human body operates at its best. Beano working most efficiently at 40oC can be explained because that temperature is approximately body temperature. Other varying  temperatures are not quite as efficient as body temperature because the human body breaks down glucose at its best. On the contrary, Beano worked least efficiently on the refried beans at an approximate temperature of 90oC. The reason behind this is that 90oC is way too hot for digestive organs to obtain nutrients. In turn, glucose cannot be absorbed which explains why the line in Figure 1 which represents 90cC did not increase throughout the course of the entire twenty-five minutes. Alpha-galactosidase is a glycoside hydrolase enzyme that is inside Beano extract to make it work. The enzymes in Beano helps with digestion, bloating, and reducing gas by increasing the rate of digestion. In the experiment, Beano was mixed with refried beans to increase the rate of glucose extraction from the beans. Refried beans were used because the starch inside the beans is difficult to digest which causes troubles such as methane gas (farting). The Beano was used with the refried beans to digest the beans easily. Another reason why the refried beans were used is because the enzyme, Beano, was created specifically for beans as beans are foods that are typically difficult to digest. When experimenting with different independent variables, it is better to have all lines on the same graph. Why? Well the graph of Figure 1 was used to compare different glucose concentration at different temperatures. Mentioned several times before, about 40 degrees Celsius worked best because it is body temperature. In this case, the line that represented 40oC can be compared to the other varying temperatures because of the fact that all of the lines were put on the same graph. In a lab very similar to the Beano experiment, peas were used instead of refried beans. The lab had the same concept and measured glucose concentration over time. Instead of using different temperatures for each line, the peas were differentiated by 25% pea extract solution,  50% pea extract solution, and 100% pea extract solution. All three solutions were tested at a temperature of 25oC. Each line increases as opposed to the lines of Figure 1 because it does not include temperature and it is different solutions being digested over time. It can be concluded that the 100% solution was digested the best. References Varki,A. (1993). Biologicalrolesof oligosaccharides:allof thetheoriesarecorrect[Abstract]. GlycoBiology.RetrievedDecember20, 2016, from http://glycob.oxfordjournals.org/content/3/2/97.short Sissons, J. (1983). Effectsof soya-beanproductson digestiveprocesses inthegastrointestinal tractof preruminantcalves[Abstract].41(1), 53-53. RetrievedDecember20, 2016, from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/div-classtitl eeffects-of-soya-bean-products-on-digestive-processes-in-the-gastrointestinal-tract-of-prerumina nt-calvesdiv/829E6E65CF3E213E31E10230E100A3C8. Levin,R.(n.d.). Digestionandabsorptionof carbohydratesfrommoleculesandmembranesto humans.[Abstract].ClinicalNutrition.RetrievedDecember20, 2016, from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/59/3/690S.short Gureco.HumanDigestiveSystem DigestiveEnzymes andDrinkingColdWaterafterMeal. (2015, June 24). RetrievedDecember20, 2016, from http://hubpages.com/health/Human-Digestive-System-Digestive-Enzymes-and-Drinking-Cold-W ater-after-Meal Woolnough. 1.W. (2010). The Effect of a Brief Salivary a-Amylase Exposure During Chewing on Subsequent in Vitro Starch Digestion Curve Profiles. Retrieved December 21. 2016. from http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/11/8/2780/htm

Multiple Governments and Intergovernmental Relationships Essay

Multiple Governments and Intergovernmental Relationships To be successful as a unified or United States, meaning a group with the same but often times different agendas, a few things had to become true. First the individual governments of these states had to feel that their best interests were represented within the united whole. Second that their powers within their borders would not be encroached upon too much, and lastly that the benefits of an overarching federal government would outweigh any loss they experienced. This is a delicate cooperation that we will explore more in depth hurricane Katrina as an example. Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina hit the golf coast on Monday August 29 2005, the eye of the storm hitting Sothern Louisiana, between New Orleans, and Gulfport Mississippi. This storm cause severer damage all along the cost, destroying homes, roads, and bridges as far as 12 miles in land (â€Å"Hurricane Katrina†, 2013). This author lived in northern Mississippi, a five-hour drive from the gulf coast, and lost power for days, as well as severe damage to his home, and the loss of seven 100+ year old trees. The worst damage though was within New Orleans Louisiana, where most of the city is below sea level and protected by an intercut system of levees, and sea walls. These levees broke and flooded most of the city, mixing with raw sewage and underground gasoline stores making a lethal cocktail, not fit for human habitation. As a result of this and a lack of proper cooperation within our government many people died. Cooperation In a catastrophe this large, no one-government entity can handle the issues alone. There must be cooperation at all levels of government. The local communities, which are affected probably, do not have any government infrastructure or resources to deal with the event. Next, the states are not necessarily equipped to handle these events. This would require stockpiles of resources just waiting for an event like this to take place. The Good The federal government and state governments knew this was going to be a hard storm, but must felt that it would not be any worse than the hundreds of hurricanes, which have hit the area prior. Still, the local communities prepared in the same way as before, issuing evacuation warnings, prepositioning National Guard, water and food around the suspected areas. The federal government also prepositioned the coastguard, and other resources around the affected area. These would have been efficient for a normal hurricane, but not for what happened (â€Å"Hurricane Katrina†, 2013). The Bad Unfortunately, the events that took place, with the gulf coast, the water surge, and the levees breaking in New Orleans were not predicted. The flooding made most of the region un-passable by normal modes of transportation. It took supplies, and resources far too long to reach the injured, and others in need. This was only compounded by poor decision-making and political finger pointing on the part of many and unfortunately, this resulted in further lost lives, and more injuries. How Could It Have Been Done Differently This is one of those difficult questions. Of course, hindsight is always twenty-twenty, but there is no reason, considering how chaotic something like a hurricane can be that any possible catastrophe should be ruled out. Before the Hurricane, officials actually stated that there was no way the levee system could be breached by the sea. This shows that there was a concern about it prior to the storm, yet it was ruled out as a possibility. Contingency planning was a failure here. There should be a contingency plan for anything no matter how possible. For example, the space shuttle had no less than 100 emergency landing sites throughout the world. This contingency plan did not have one plan with a backup plan it had a contingency plan and each contingency plan had another. No possible eventuality should ever be foolishly ruled out. The contingency plan for the hurricane should of included supplies, personnel, and equipment stationed inside the hurricane zone, in case there was difficulty getting into the area, which it was. Agencies such as FEMA, should have moved resources in, and protected them for the storm as opposed to station it on the outside of the area, and expecting an ability to move it in. Stationing the supplies and help outside the area shows that our government was hoping for a best-case scenario when they should have planned for the worst. Reference Hurricane Katrina. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina

Cosmos Episode 13 Viewing Worksheet

As a teacher, I am always on the lookout for great science videos to show my classes. I use these either as a supplement to help enhance a topic we are learning or sometimes as a reward for the students on a movie day. They also come in handy when I have to plan for a substitute teacher to take over my classes for a day. It isnt always easy to find something relevant, educational, and entertaining. Thankfully, Fox brought back the Cosmos series and updated it using the awesome Neil deGrasse Tyson as host. I now have a whole series of outstanding science shows to show the students. However, I need to make sure the students understand and absorb the material. Below is a set of questions for Cosmos Episode 13, entitled Unafraid of the Dark,  that can be copy and pasted (and then tweaked as necessary) into a worksheet. It can be used as a note taking guide while watching the show, or afterward as a type of quiz or informal assessment.   Cosmos Worksheet Sample   Cosmos Episode 13 Worksheet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Name:______________   Directions: Answer the questions as you watch episode 13 of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey   1.  Who is the city of Alexandria in Egypt named after? 2.  Why were all ships that landed in the port at Alexandria searched? 3. What are 2 things Neil deGrasse Tyson says that the librarian Eratosthenes did during his lifetime? 4. How many scrolls were estimated to be kept in the library at Alexandria?   5. What three continents were on the very first globe?   6. What did Victor Hess discover was in the air when he did his series of experiments in his hot air balloon?   7. How did Victor Hess determine radiation in the air was not coming from the Sun?   8. Where did the cosmic rays really come from? 9. Who does Neil deGrasse Tyson call â€Å"the most brilliant man you’ve never heard of†?   10. What is a supernova?   11. What were the â€Å"shrunken stars† called?   12. What does Neil deGrasse Tyson say is what he loves most about science? 13. What did Fritz Zwicky find odd about the Coma Cluster of galaxies? 14. Why does Mercury travel much faster than Neptune? 15. What unusual thing did Vera Rubin discover about the Andromeda Galaxy? 16. Why can you not tell how close a supernova is based on its brightness alone? 17. What are the kinds of supernovas that have a constant brightness called?   18. What did astronomers discover about the universe in 1998? 19. What year were Voyagers I and II launched? 20. What is Jupiter’s red spot?   21. Which of Jupiter’s moons has more water (trapped under ice) than Earth?   22. How fast are the winds on Neptune? 23. What is shot out of the geysers on Neptune’s moon Titan?   24. What happens to the heliosphere when the solar wind calms down? 25. When was the last time the heliosphere collapsed all the way back to the Earth? 26. How did scientists determine the age of the iron left on the Earth’s ocean floor by a supernova? 27. What does Neil deGrasse Tyson call the â€Å"common unit of time† that is indicated on the Voyagers I and II that will be used to communicate with extraterrestrials? 28. What are three things included on the record put on Voyagers I and II?   29. What supercontinent made up all the land on Earth a billion years ago?   30. What planet did Neil deGrasse Tyson say the Earth probably looked like a billion years ago?   31. What would the colonial organisms in the world ocean soon evolve into on Earth a billion years ago? 32. How many orbits around the center of our galaxy will the Sun have made one billion years in the future? 33. What does Carl Sagan call the Earth when it is viewed from space? 34. What are the 5 simple rules that Neil deGrasse Tyson says all great researchers take to heart? 35. How has science been misused?

Gender, Gender And Cultural Differences - 1955 Words

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