Quantitative analysis of carbohydrates is a fundamental analytical tool used in many aspects of biology and chemistry. We have adapted a technique developed by Mathews et al. using an inexpensive scanner and open-source image analysis software to quantify amylase activity using both the breakdown of starch and the appearance of glucose. Breakdown of starch is analyzed using the iodide/iodine reagent, while the appearance of glucose is followed using Benedict's reagent. The progress of Benedict's reagent is quantified using the inherent color change of a blue solution into a red precipitate. The reaction velocity at different time points is then plotted and graphed using an Excel spreadsheet. This laboratory emphasizes that enzymes mediate the conversion of a substrate into a product and that either the concentration of product or reactant may be used to follow the course of a reaction.

Feed intake during the final trimester of gestation did not appear to vary significantly until 2 weeks before calving, after which it decreased dramatically. Measurements during two periods in the final trimester suggested that passage rate increased and digestibility decreased, as pregnancy proceeded.

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Influence of supplemental protein versus energy level on intake, fill, passage, Influence of supplemental protein versus energy level on intake, fill, passage, digestibility, and fermentation characteristics of beef steers consuming dormant digestibility, and fermentation characteristics of beef steers consuming dormant bluestem range forage bluestem range forage

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