If a technician performs a maltase reaction at 30°C instead of the optimal 37°C, what is the likely outcome?

Enzymes, including maltase, have an optimal temperature at which their activity is maximized, typically around 37°C for many human enzymes. This optimal temperature allows for the most efficient interaction between the enzyme and substrate, facilitating the reaction process effectively.

When the temperature is lowered to 30°C, the kinetic energy of the molecules involved in the reaction decreases. Lower kinetic energy leads to fewer collisions between the enzyme and substrate molecules, which slows down the reaction rate. Consequently, the enzyme's overall activity diminishes because there are not enough effective collisions occurring to maintain the reaction at its optimal efficiency.

In this case, since maltase specifically catalyzes the breakdown of maltose into glucose, the decrease in enzyme activity means that glucose will be produced at a slower rate under the lower temperature conditions. Therefore, choosing the response indicating that the enzyme activity will decrease accurately reflects the expected outcome of performing the reaction at a suboptimal temperature.