Unit 1: Scientific Principles

Hextable School
Science department
Course Title: BTEC First Diploma in Applied Science

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Assignment
Making better milk for cats Ref:
Title:
Learner Name
Start Date: Deadline:

Unit 1: Scientific Principles

Scenario
Despite their traditional liking for milk, cats are unable to digests large amounts of
lactose. Milk can be treated with the lactose enzyme to make a lactose-reduced
milk suitable for cats or humans who are lactose intolerant.
Although the production of a special ‘cat milk’ may seem trivial, an estimated 75%
of the world’s population are intolerant of lactose in adulthood – so the potential
scale of this problem is very great.

Commercially, the milk is treated by injecting enzyme into the carton as UHT milk
is packaged, or by using an immobilised enzyme – an enzyme which has been
trapped on an inert material so that it can be used repeatedly.

In this assignment you will take the place of a development technologist who is
investigating a method to manufacture lactose free milk in a continuous process.
You will first need to produce a report that outlines the basic principles of how
enzymes work.

Assessment Evidence:
Unit Grading Criteria
The grading criteria that this assignment relates to:
P8: carry out experiments to investigate factors affecting enzymes, and describe the
mode of action of enzymes related to their structure.
U1 M8: plan and carry out experiments to investigate the mode of action of enzymes and
factors affecting their action, drawing suitable conclusions.
D8: plan, carry out and evaluate experiments to investigate the mode of action of
enzymes and factors which affect them.
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Unit 1: Scientific Principles
Cats Milk Assignment
Task list

Task 1
Carry out a series of experiments that investigate the effect of
temperature, concentration and pH on the enzyme catalase.

Task 2
Describe the mode of action of enzymes and the factors that affect
enzyme activity.

P8

Task 3
As part of the conclusion to your series of experiments, describe how the
behaviour of an enzyme at different temperatures, pH and concentration is
related to its chemical structure.

Task 4
Describe how immobilised enzymes can be used to produce lactose free
milk.

M8

Task 5
Evaluate the experiments you have carried out. Are your findings
applicable to all enzymes? Assess your data in terms of its reproducibility,
precision and accuracy

D8