Detection of Biological Molecules

The most common macromolecules found in living organisms are lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. Briefly, the meaning of macromolecules is that they normally contain two or more molecules in them and their main functions are to store energy, information and much more. Most foods are known to be combinations of macromolecules. While some of these compounds can be detected by taste tests, many cannot. Scientists then use certain tests to determine the presence of macromolecules.

The primary goal of this laboratory is to correctly identify an unknown substance. To achieve this task, one may use various tests that reveal both chemical and physical properties of a substance. By comparing the results of a known substance and the unknown substance, one may eliminate alternative possibilities and more accurately predict the undisclosed compound. Furthermore, by performing these tests, data can be collected and verified regarding chemical and physical properties of the unknown. Understanding the chemical properties of a known substance aids one’s understanding of the unknown based on comparative analysis of the results of the tests.

3. State the name and structure of the functional group for each type of biologically

b) Benedict test the solution color will change from blue to pink/orange red, indicating simple sugars are present. Lugols test the solution color will change from yellowish brown to dark purple, indicating starch and polysaccharides are present. Sudan iV test the lipid content will turn into red, indicating lipids are

Hydrogens, alkyls, or aryls bonded to carboxyl groups—made up of a carbonyl group and a hydroxyl group—are known as carboxylic acids. Derivatives of carboxylic acids include acid chlorides, esters, anhydrides, amides, and generally nitriles. These derivatives are formed by the replacement of the hydroxyl group with a different electronegative heteroatom substituent, which can be a single atom, such as a chlorine atom, or a group of atoms, such as in the formation of

1. Take a paper towel and cut out two circles that are the same size as the base of the petri dishes.

Dehydration-synthesis is a reaction that occurs to form different types of macromolecules. It is a reaction that leaves a macromolecule structure along the lines of developing its own specific function in a living organism. The 4 most common ones are carbohydrates which includes monosaccharides and polysaccharides, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids (Mack 2012). Scientists identify different types of macromolecules to achieve a better understanding on how they function in our bodies. This can be achieved by studying their chemical properties and structure.

Obtain a 30 cm by 11 cm container and place it on a flat surface large enough to fit it.

1. Fill up a 200ml beaker with tap water and then pour it into the designated jar

* Place paper towel over clear glass bowl with rubber band holding it in place.

The flies inside the anesthetiser jar were emptied onto filter paper in a petri dish

XII. Take the 250 ml beaker to your lab bench. Set up a gravity filtration with a plastic funnel, folded wet filter paper, and an Erlenmeyer flask. Pour the content in the 250 ml beaker slowly through the filter paper. Wash the filter paper with deionized water. Dispose of the filtrate in the proper labeled waste container.

Now label the cups with the sharpie and write down your group’s name and the concentration of solutions: 40%, 20%, 10%, 5%, & 0%.

(6.2)Material and Methods in the process or exercise of measuring the starch we were used the following material and how we used them to conduct the experiment. Obtain seven tubes the material to be tested table 6.1 and then add seven to ten drops of iodine to each tube, and then record the color of the tubes contents in table 6.1

6. Squirt water once from bottle onto each of the smarties on both pieces of filter paper