C. C. Baly and Dr. E. S. Semmens in NATURE of December 5, p. 817, on the selective chemical action of polarised light upon starch grains seems to me to raise a question of fundamental importance ...

Put 1cm³ of amylase enzyme into tube 1 but not tube 2. Leave at room temperature for five minutes. Test for starch (using iodine) and glucose (using Benedict’s reagent) inside and outside both ...

At the optimum temperature the amylase will break down starch very quickly. At low temperatures the amylase will break starch down slowly due to reduced kinetic energy.