What is the purpose of having a positive and a negative control?

The positive control should give a large amount of enzyme activity, while the negative control should give very low to no activity. If the positive control does not produce the expected result, there may be something wrong with the experimental procedure, and the experiment is repeated.

lizards have adapted to life in the desert. some desert lizards have toes with spiny scales to them run across the sand without sinking. some use the sand to hide from predators, or to search for small animals that they prey upon.