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The experiment

This is a common experiment used to model the digestive system and will help you understand how to work scientifically.

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Try the experiment in the lab

Aim

To use Visking tubing to model the digestive system and show what substances can pass through its lining.

Method

  1. Set up two sets of the as in the diagram.

  2. Put 1cm鲁 of amylase enzyme into tube 1 but not tube 2.

  3. Leave at room temperature for five minutes.

  4. Test for starch (using iodine) and glucose (using Benedict鈥檚 reagent) inside and outside both tubes.

two beakers - the one on the left shows visking tubing containing 5 cm cubed of starch solution and 1 cm cubed of amylase solution. The right shows visking tubing containing 5 cm cubed of starch solution
Figure caption,
A Visking tubing experiment

Variables

  • Independent variable: the presence or absence of amylase.

  • Dependent variable: the presence or absence of glucose inside and outside the tubing.

  • Controlled variables: the quantities of the solutions used, the time taken before testing and the temperature of the water.

Find out more about variables

Risks

What are the risks to safety in this experiment?

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Results

Expected results Tube 1 (with amylase)

InsideOutside
Starch presentYesNo
Glucose presentYesYes

Expected results Tube 2 (without amylase)

InsideOutside
Starch presentYesNo
Glucose presentNoNo

What the results mean

  1. There is no starch outside the Visking tubing. It is too large to pass through the tubing.

  2. Glucose is present in the solution containing amylase (tube 1), but not in the solution that doesn't contain amylase (tube 2). Amylase breaks down starch into glucose.

  3. There is glucose outside the Visking tubing in tube 1 as glucose is small enough to pass through the tubing.

Evaluation

At the end of an investigation, it is important to the results and the method. After this is done, a judgement is made about how reliable the conclusion is.

Find out more about evaluating results

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Try an online experiment

Use Benedict's reagent in another experiment in Atomic Labs. Go to the Biology lab and try the Testing for sugar experiment.

Play the Atomic Labs game! game

Try out practical experiments in this KS3 science game.

Play the Atomic Labs game!
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More on Nutrition, digestion and excretion

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