Measuring effectiveness of Bile and Pancreatic juice in Fat

Digestion

An enzyme is a substance that speeds up chemical reactions by
weakening the chemical bonds in the reactant molecule, at the same time it lowers the
energy requirement barriers so that the reaction proceeds at normal cell temperature,
therefore faster. In the Digestive System enzymes are needed everywhere. We first use
enzymes when we eat food; these enzymes are located in the saliva (Amylase
enzyme). In the Stomach, acid and an enzyme that digests proteins is produced, at the
same time it is produced a mucus that protects the inside of the stomach from
dissolving its own tissue. Other tissues of the body and food also, could or may be not
able to resist this acid. After the stomach releases the juice mixture into the small
intestine the Pancreas Organ takes action. The Pancreas is situated behind the
Stomach and it provides the Human body with various substances; such as the
production of Insulin and enzymes to break down food. Pancreatic Juice which we used
in the experiment is produced in the pancreas, and it is necessary during digestion.
Pancreatic Juice is a liquid secreted or created by the pancreas that contains various
enzymes to break down food like Carbohydrates, Fats, and proteins. Pancreatic juice
first breaks starch which is a type of polysaccharide found in carbohydrates, it breaks it
into maltose. There can be Monosaccharides or simple sugars that are only one sugar
such as Glucose or Sucrose (which is table sugar), Disaccharides which are made up of
two simple sugars forming Maltose or Galactose, and at last we have Polysaccharides
which are made up of two or more sugars, all of these being samples of Carbohydrates.
Starch and Glycogen are two types of Polysaccharides. However, in our experiment we
used Pancreatic Juice from Pancreoflat to digest fats. Fats are made up of one Glycerol
molecule and three Fatty Acid chains; they can be saturated or unsaturated. A
Saturated fat is that in which all three fatty acid chains contain the maximum possible
number of Hydrogen atoms. By that it means that Saturated fats are solid at room
temperature, such like butter and lard. In the other hand there is the Unsaturated Fats
which are those that contain chains because some of its carbon atoms are double
bonded to each other, therefore they do not contain the maximum possible number of
Hydrogen atoms. Thats why; unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Such as;
fish and vegetable oils, and milk.
In Digestion, Bile is also used which is a fluid that contains Water, Electrolytes,
Bile acids, Cholesterol, Phospholipids, and Bilirubin. Bile has two very important jobs to
conduct: the Bile Acid is fundamental for digestion and absorption of fats and vitamins
of the fats. In second place Bile eliminates waste like Bilirubin in feces. The role of Bile
in fat digestion is to use Bile acid to break down fat molecules into fatty acids. This

happens with the help of Bile and Pancreatic Juice in the Digestive system, because
Bile and Pancreatic Juice work better together than alone.
2. Purpose: To determine the roles of Bile and Pancreatic juice in fat digestion.
Hypothesis: If Pancreatic Juice and Bile are in the same test tube it would break
fats more efficiently, then the fat is better digested when Bile and Pancreatic juice are
working together because they work better together than alone.
3. Experimental Design:
Independent
Variable

Time in minutes
Dependant Variable


Enzyme activity
Constants

3ml of Milk
1ml of Phenol Red
Volume of all test
tubes (6 ml)
Temperature
Test tubes
Number of trials: 1
(2 counting the one
we did again)
Control Group

Test Tube number 4

List of materials:
1. 4 test tubes
2. Pen or marker
3. Labeling tape
4. Test-tube rack
5. 4 plastic film squares, stoppers or caps
6. Graduated transfer pipettes
7. Stopwatch
8. 12 ml of whole milk solution
9. 2 ml bile solution
10. 2 ml pancreatic juice solution
11. 4 ml phenol red solution
12. 4 ml water
4. Procedure:
1. Place the test tubes rack, then label the test tubes 1-4 with the pen or
marker. Label the volumes of different volumes you tested in the Prelab
Activity

2. Cover each tube with a plastic stopper, square or cap. Mix the each tube by
inverting the tube (shaking it from down to up). After mixing place back each
tube to its original place, record the starting time and the initial color you see
of each test tube. Record it on the Data Table in the bottom.
3. After observing the color change in the tube, mix all of them again. After that
record the time and add a description of the observations you made in the
Data Table.

5. Result/Analysis

Data table:
Test Tube Start Time/
Initial color
Time/
Color 5
min.
Time/
Color 10
min.
Time/
Color 15
min.
Time/Color
20 min.
Time/Color
25 min.
Pancreatic
juice and
Bile
Light
Orange
Lighter
Orange
Same Same Same Lighter
Orange
Bile and
Water
Bright
Orange
Brighter
Orange
Same Same Same Same
Pancreatic
Juice and
Water
Light
Orange
Light
Orange
Same Same Same Lighter
Orange
Water Only Bright
Orange
Less bright
Orange
Same Same Same Same

Group 2 Data Table of Enzyme Activity:
Time ( Min) Test Tube 1 Test Tube 2 Test Tube 3 Test Tube 4
0 10 10 10 10
5 6 9 7 9
10 5 8 6 8
15 4 8 5 7
20 3 7 4 7
25 3 7 3 7
Graph




Analysis:
In this graph we can see that as time increases the Enzyme activity that starts in
a Basic state changes to a more acidic state, changing from 10 as a basic and then
ending with 3 (in most of the test tubes) which is more acid. Test Tube 1 for example
started with a 10 then went to a 7 and rapidly decreased in PH or Enzyme Activity, to a
three. So this shows that Bile and Pancreatic Juice work well together than alone. Test
Tube 2 which only contained Bile decreased only till 7 in PH range. Test Tube 3 which
only contained Pancreatic Juice started with a 10 and decreased until a 3 in PH range,
and at last Test Tube 4 only contained Water Started with a 10 in PH range and
decreased till a 7. So you can see that in the graph it shows that Bile and Pancreatic
juice may work alone, although together they are more efficient.
6. Conclusion

The purpose of this experiment was to see the roles of bile and pancreatic
juice on fat digestion. Meaning that by this experiment we would see how bile and
pancreatic juice worked alone and together. My major findings in this experiment were
that as time passed the Enzyme Activity of all Test Tubes changed from a Basic
solution to an Acidic solution. At the same time another finding was seeing that
Pancreatic Juice and Bile worked better together, than alone. By that I mean that as
shown in the graph and stated above, the Ph of Test Tube one that contained
Pancreatic juice and Bile changed faster from a 10 to a 3, meaning that Bile and
Pancreatic Juice when together work faster and better. Also we can see that in the
graph the other Test Tubes that contain only Bile, Pancreatic juice, or water, have
ranges in the PH that are closer to each other like 10,9,8,7,7,7 than that of Test Tube 1
that has more variation. My hypothesis was supported by my results because as my
hypothesis says If Pancreatic Juice and Bile are in the same test tube it would brake
fats more efficiently, then the fat is better digested when Bile and Pancreatic juice are
working together because they work better together than alone my results support
exactly that because Test Tube number one which contains Pancreatic Juice and Bile is
more efficient and changes faster from a basic solution to an acidic solution than the
other test tubes, at the same time the Enzyme Activity is higher and it is better shown in
the graph than the results of the other Test Tubes which contained Bile, Pancreatic
Juice, and Water separated. As time passed Test Tube one had better results, than the
rest of the Test Tubes.
My work in comparison to the rest of my lab partners turned out very similar,
although we have different lab reports our hypothesis still states that Bile and
Pancreatic Juice are more efficient when together, and our results turned out very
similar when doing the graph. At the same time, when doing the experiment we all
noticed (Alan, Ma Jose, and I) that the color of the Test Tube one was becoming each
time a lighter orange meaning it was changing from a basic solution to an acid solution.
Some possible explanations I have for my findings is that when Bile and Pancreatic
Juice are together when digesting fats, they are more efficient and brake down the fat
faster. The enzyme activity also is faster than when they are working by their own, and
in time the fat is digested quicker. Some errors that were introduced at first during this
experiment were that we placed wrong the liquids into the Test Tubes so we had to
repeat the experiment for a second time and start all over again, but it was only for our
best because if we had not repeated the experiment our results would not be as efficient
as they turned out on the second time. Some recommendation for improving this
experiment would be to have more samples of Pancreatic Juice, Milk, and Phenol Red,
because that way the Test Tubes of all groups would not be messed up and will have
the correct order of the liquids. Leaving at last, some recommendations for further
study could be to study before going to the lab, learn better what enzymes are and how
and why do Pancreatic Juice and Bile are so necessary in the Digestive system. At the

same time you could also have more time testing the experiment so that your results
are more precise and the information is clearer. So there you would be able to control
more variables like type of color the Test Tube is showing, type of water you used, type
of milk you used, and more variables that would leave you with a more precise answer.






















Works Cited
Gil, J. (2010). Carbohydrates molecules lecture. Quito.
Interactive, D. S. (1990). Digestive System. Retrieved october 7, 2011, from
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/
System, P. p. (1996). How does the digestive system work. Retrieved October 8, 2011, from
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/liver/bile.html
Graph: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/