Attack of the Enzymes
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Attack of the Enzymes
Demented Schoolgirl Productions
Download film (right-click)Biology , Demonstration , Experiment , Secondary
A hapless university student relives a year 7 science lesson to help her make a life-changing decision. An examination of enzyme action.
Director's Notes:
This experiment is in several books and websites, but we found it in Terry Deary and Barbara Allen’s The Spark Files Book 2: Chop and Change (Amazon UK link).
You could turn it into more of an investigation by having several jars at different temperatures, and seeing at which temperature the protease in the biological washing powder works best. The experiment can also be used to help explain digestion of proteins, active sites, denaturation, and enzyme action in general.
SciCast Notes:
I love this film! It’s nicely edited, and some of the camerawork is particularly good (especially the forced perspective at the start of the flashback sequence), but what really impresses me is the careful use of the cheese factor. It’s easy to go too far, and to end up so far into the cheese zone that your film looks wildly self-indulgent. But I thought this was very well-judged, and it made me laugh for ages.
If I’ve one criticism it’s that I’d have loved to have seen a close-up of the icky goopy mess that I presume is in the jam jar. Don’t forget to show important detail big and clear, folks!
But still, this is a brilliant film. More like this, please!
— Jonathan