Chemical Composition of Cells Lab Report Tyler Thomason September 14, 2015
Introduction
A cell, the building block of all living organisms, is composed of four fundamental biomolecules: proteins, carbohydrates, sugars and lipids. Proteins provide a vast amount of functions cells such as they serve as enzymes, provide structural support to cells, and act as antibodies. Reagents are used to spark a chemical reaction. The reagent used to detect protein traces in a substance is Biuret’s. Biuret’s will turn purple if proteins are present and blue if they are none. Biuret’s copper particles, have a charge of +2, are diminished to a charge of +1 when peptide bonds, which are in proteins, are present, creating the color change. Polysaccharides, which are carbohydrates, are most notably known to provide energy to the body, but they also help in breaking down fatty acids. Iodine is the reagent used to determine whether a substance has starch in it. The iodine/starch complex has energy levels that are only for retaining unmistakable light, giving the complex its extraordinarily dark black-blue shade. If there is no starch found, iodine will remain its natural yellowish-brownish color, but if starch is present, iodine will turn blue-black. Monosaccharides, which are sugars, like polysaccharides, provide the body with energy. To detect monosaccharides, the reagent, Benedict’s, is used. Benedict’s reagent is added to a test tube, then it is placed in
4. There are other types of reagents used to determine what type of biomolecule a substance is. For example, copper ions present in Benedict’s reagent reacts with the free end of any reducing sugars, such as glucose, when heated. Originally blue in color, these copper ions are reduced by the sugar, and produce an orange-red colored precipitate. Alternatively, iodine-potassium iodide (IKI) may also be used when working with starch. IKI contains special tri-iodine ions which interact with the coiled structure of a starch
If feeding efficiency and reproduction have a direct correlation, and a population started with equal proportions of individuals with each of three feeding types, metal spoon, metal knife, and plastic fork, the frequency of the population with metal spoons as their feeding structure will increase in the next generation. While the frequency of metal knifes and plastic forks will decrease. Furthermore, since the organisms with the metal spoon feeding structure have a higher fitness level, this population will evolve by natural selection to a point where the metal spoon phenotype will be in abundant. While the organisms with metal knifes and plastic forks phenotypes will decrease in frequency due to the lack of reproduction. Eventually, if this population persist overtime, most of the organisms, if not all, will have the metal spoon phenotype, while very few, if not any, will have the metal knife or the plastic fork phenotype.
The results for Benedict’s test for reducing sugars before hydrolysis, the control dH2O had no color change, as well as sucrose and raffinose. Gelatin became a dark blue and egg albumin a light greyish blue. Glucose yielded a dark orange, milk albumin turned orange, and starch had a yellow precipitate. In the Benedict’s test for reducing sugars by hot acid hydrolysis, the control dH2O was blue or no reaction. Glucose turned a brownish-orange; sucrose, a reddish-brown, raffinose, light pink; starch, a dark yellowish-orange; gelatin, violet; milk powder, a light yellow; and egg albumin, a greyish-violet. In the Lugol’s test for polysaccharides, the control dH2O turned yellow or no reaction, as well as glucose, sucrose, raffinose, milk powder and albumin. Starch was clear with blue-violet on the bottom (precipitate) and gelatin turned a slightly opaque white. In the test for polysaccharides remaining after hydrolysis with Lugol’s solution the control dH2O was yellow or no reaction. Glucose, sucrose, raffinose, starch and gelatin also had no reaction. Milk powder had a white precipitate and particle suspension. Egg albumin had an even greater white precipitate and particle suspension. In Biuret’s test for proteins there was no reaction for dH2O, glucose, sucrose, raffinose, and starch. Gelatin, milk powder and egg albumin all turned slightly violet with bubbles.
1. Benedict’s solution is added to white grape juice and heated. The color changes from blue to orange. Based on this result, what biological molecules are
The purpose of this lab was to test different substances using various procedures to see what biomolecules were present and ultimately find out what restaurant Anna Lyza had eaten at before she died. For the first control test, we used vegetable oil to test for lipids. So, if the solution does not contain lipids, it does not become translucent when placed onto a paper bag square and held up to a light. So, it is a negative result. However, in the presence of lipids, the solution will become translucent when placed onto a paper bag square and held up to a light. Therefore in this case, the result is positive. On the other hand, we used albumin egg to test for proteins in another control test. If the solution does not contain proteins, it will not experience any color change and so it is a negative result. When there are proteins existing in the solution, it will turn bluish/purplish and for this reason it is a positive result. Furthermore in the third control test, we used dextrose to test for simple carbohydrates such as glucose. If the solution does not contain simple carbohydrates, it will not undergo any color change and will remain a blue color. So, it is a negative result in this circumstance. If there are simple carbohydrates present in the solution, the solution will turn reddish and so the result is positive. For the last control test, we used starch solution to test
All living things contain some form of organic macromolecules including: Lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. All of these organic molecules are alike in the sense that is they are made up of bonded elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and to smaller quantities nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. The macromolecules each contain large long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms and often consists of repeating smaller molecules bonded together in a repeating pattern (polymers). To test whether a specific solid white substance is a protein is simple due to the unique chains found in the respective type of macromolecule. To test if the substance is a carbohydrate, two tests could be performed on separate samples of the object. First,
I learned that anaerobic is an organism or tissue that is living in the absence of air or oxygen while aerobic is involves the organism or tissue receiving and requiring air. Furthermore I learned about the anaerobic cellular respiration that uses an electron acceptor rather than oxygen to complete metabolism using electron transport-based chemiosmosis. Also in this reading I learned about fermentation which is an anaerobic process in which energy can be released from glucose even though oxygen is not available.
Figure 1. shows the average leaf mass decomposition rate for invasive species leaves and native species leaves Results Explanation – In the experiment, we found that the invasive species leaves have a isopods faster decomposition rate than the native species leaves. The treatment used in the experiment differentiated only where the 1 gram (each) of the two different types of leaves were used. At the end of the experiment, the leaves had little to no moisture left to them and the 2 isopods were dead. Discussion – 1)
The outcome of this lab proved for the prediction to be true. The organisms in the aquatic chamber died out and the water quality slowly deteriorated before the lab ended. Although the organisms eventually died, there was a time when the aquatic chamber was able to support life. The aquatic chamber had its own food chain where the fish ate the plant to stay alive. Furthermore, the water quality of the chamber began to deteriorate over the few weeks becoming a cloudy murky brown color.
The purpose of this lab was to discover which molecules are found in certain foods. I expected to learn more about the molecules that we tested for, which were simple sugar, starch, and protein. I also expected to learn more about macromolecules, since simple sugar and starch are both carbohydrates, and I expected to learn more about what makes up food. If each food is tested for simple sugar, starch, and protein, then milk will have simple sugars and protein, crackers will have simple sugars, bananas will have starch and simple sugars, and egg whiles will have protein.
Biomolecules are essential to the cell processes of human life. These molecules are broken down into three major components: Saccharides, Lipids, and Peptides, each carrying specific functions for the processes of the body. Saccharides, our focal point in this lab, enhance the synthesis of other biomolecules by supplying them with carbon, form structure in cells and tissues, provide fuel for metabolism, and are responsible for the storage of glucose. Saccharides are further broken down into three biomolecules: Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, and Polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are simple sugars that can be classified as Aldehyde or Ketone. These Monosaccharides can be easily identified with the reaction between the Benedict’s Reagent with
The mammalian OR is part of the GPCR superfamily, while the topological distinct family of transmembrane proteins defines the insect OR. The insect OR is comprised of a heteromeric complex of a conventional odor ligand-binding receptor and an OR83b. The N terminus for the mammalian OR is located extracellularly while it is located intracellularly for the insect OR. The C terminus is located in the intracellularly in the mammalian OR, while it is located extracellularly in the insect OR.
B) Proteins Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. Each protein folds into a characteristic three dimensional shape that is essential to its function. They perform a variety of functions in cells and are probably the most diverse macromolecule in living systems. The Biuret test detects the presence of proteins and short peptides (short chains of amino acids). Biuret reagent contains a strong solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and a very small amount of dilute copper sulfate solution. The reagent changes color in the presence of a protein because the amino groups in the amino acids react with the copper ions producing a violet color. A negative result is blue.
Solutions and color reaction for Benedict’s test for reducing sugars and 2 iodine test for starch
Iodine was used to test for the presence of starch, remaining yellow for its negative control and becoming a blue-black colour if a reaction occurred;