To investigate the digestive activity of seeds during germination

Question 1

Apparatus

Answer 1

• 4 broad beans
• 2 starch agar dishes
• Scalpel
• Incubator
• Iodine

Question 2

Method

Answer 2

• Soak 4 broad beans in water for 2 days (To activate enzymes)
• Prepare two starch agar plates (To sterlise)
• Soak the seeds in disinfectant for 5 minutes
• Cut each seed lengthways and place each half onto the agar (surface down)
• Incubate the dish at 20°C for 48 hours
• Remove the seed halves and flood the plate with iodine and leave for 2 minutes
• For the control, repeat the experiment with 2 boiled seeds

Question 3

Results/Conclusion

Answer 3

• The plate with boiled seeds (control) turned blue/black as the amylase has been denatured by heat
• The starch with the unboiled seeds remained yellow/brown as the amylase broke down the starch