Would lipase take longer to break down fats in milk at heightened temperatures? Or would it be faster?
The first thing you have to know is that lipase is an enzyme, and all proteins are enzymes. Enzymes, like all proteins, are susceptible to being denatured; this can be done in a number of ways, such as through extremely high/low pH or extremely high TEMPERATURE, which is what you are testing in your prac. Basically, your teacher is looking for your knowledge in how enzymes can be affected by different conditions, which in your prac is temperature. What you should find is that lipase breaks down fats at different speeds in different temperatures. At very low temperatures, such as 10 degrees or 20 degrees, there is a low energy, so the rate of break-down is slower. At 40 degrees, there is enough energy for lipase to work in its’ optimum working temperature’; it is at this temperature that lipase SHOULD break down fastest. This is because most proteins, such as the enzyme lipase, do not work well above 45 degrees; they start to ‘denature’, meaning that they lose their 3d structure. You sh
