Proteins: Starch and Glucose Molecules Essay

Submitted By nishusaini46
Words: 358
Pages: 2

1. Define the following terms :-
a. Amylose :- Amylose is a polysaccharide that consists of linear chains and linked glucose molecules. Amylase are relatively short, unbranched chains of glucose molecules. It refers to as a class of carbohydrates that is composed of starch, cellulose and dextrin.
b. Maltose :- Maltose is also known as white crystalline sugar or malt sugar. It is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined with an α bond by condensation reaction. The isomer isomaltose has two glucose molecules linked through an α bond.
c. α –amylase :- Alpha amylase is a protein enzyme which catalyze the hydrolysis of alpha bonds of polysaccharides such as starch and glycogen to obtain a glucose and maltose. It is generally found in humans and other mammals.
2. Explain with the aid of diagrams, the reaction steps for the hydrolysis of salt by α- amylase.
Ans :- a-Amylase (a-1,4-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1) is an enzyme that degrades starch, first to oligosaccharides and then in turn to maltose and glucose, by hydrolyzing a -1,4-glucan bonds. In digestion, the role of a -amylase is primarily the first reaction of this process, generating oligosaccharides that are then hydrolyzed by other enzymes.

a-Amylase a-Amylase Starch ---> Oligosaccharides --->
Maltose + Glucose
In vitro, a-amylase is also able to hydrolyze the a-1,4 linkages in glycogen, but has no activity on the a-1,6 linkages responsible for the more