Question

1) Which spots would be considered positive controls? Why?

2) Which spots would be considered negative controls? Why?

3) Where is salivary amylase normally found in the human body? What is the pH approximately in that location?

Answer 1

1) A positive control is a part of good experimental design. A positive control receives a treatment with a known response, so that this positive response can be compared to the unknown response of the treatment.

2) A negative control is part of a well-designed scientific experiment. The negative control group is a group in which no response is expected. It is the opposite of the positive control, in which a known response is expected.

3) In the human body, salivary amylase is predominantly produced by the salivary glands and the pancreas. This enzyme is found in the saliva. Saliva has a pH normal range of 6.2-7.6 with 6.7 being the average pH. Resting pH of mouth does not fall below 6.3. In the oral cavity, the pH is maintained near neutrality (6.7-7.3) by saliva.