alkalinity

Enzymes are very sensitive to changes in temperature and to the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the material in which they act.

Note the extremes of acidity and alkalinity in which macroscopical growth has developed (Range of reaction).

Moreover, it is but little affected by variations in alkalinity, which render the other finishing point quite useless.

Alkalinity of commercial potassium cyanide and of cyanide solutions.

The less pure samples will show an excess of alkalinity because of the presence of sodium carbonate or of potassium carbonate.