a measure of the level of activity of amylase in blood serum, as analyzed by means of the Somogyi method (the most frequently used procedure); one unit is equivalent to 1 mg of reducing sugar liberated as glucose per 100 mL of serum, when an aliquot of the latter is mixed with a standard starch substrate (plus sodium chloride for maximal activation) and incubated for a standard time; normal range is 80-150 units, but values are usually not regarded as clinically significant unless they are greater than 200.
