Macromolecules Lab

13. Dip the end of the ph Strip into well A1 to get the ph value and label in Data Table 1.

We decided to do the McMush Lab. The lab was designed to see the biomolecules inside an average McDonald’s Happy Meal. We decided to use a meal we have all had and to see what we were eating. Our results showed certain biomolecules.

At five minute intervals over the next fifteen minute period, record the color intensity of the solution of each test tube.

A macromolecule is a large molecule composed of small molecular units called monomers that are linked to together in long chains called polymers. Lipids are hydrophobic, non polar macromolecules that insulate organs, store energy, and make up cell membranes. Their monomers are called triglycerides. Proteins are another example of macromolecules. Made up of monomers called amino acids held together by peptide bonds, proteins provide structural support, defense, and cell regulation. The third macromolecule that is going to be tested for are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, are needed for energy storage and are made up of monomers called monosaccharides.

We then recorded the initial color. We placed each tube in boiling water for one minute and recorded the color results and gave our conclusion. To test for starch using Lugol’s solution, we reused the test tubes and added a squirt of the solution. We recorded the final color and then our conclusion for each content. To test for lipids using paper towels, we placed a drop of solution and we let it stand for one minute. We then recorded our observation, if it was dry or not dry and wrote our conclusion for each sample. To test for proteins using Biuret’s reagent, we added a squirt of stock solution plus a few drops of Biuret’s solution. We wrote the initial color. We then shook the solution and waited for two minutes before recording the results. After the two minutes, we wrote the final color and conclusion for each content. For the unknowns, we wrote the odor and appearance of each content and then tested the benedict’s, starch, lipid, and protein test and wrote our conclusion.

2 drops of iodine went into one and 2 drops of biuret went into the other. We stirred both and recorded what we found. Now it was time to conduct our final test on the vomit (yay!). With our water heated up we put our liquidly vomit into a test tube (it took some time to get it in there but we did eventually!).

The controls in this lab are distilled water and baking soda solution because they are tested in every part of the lab. It is important to have these controls for each test because they do not contain any macromolecules so they should test negative for carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, and providing a base example of a negative reaction. This is useful because it is known they should not contain any of the macromolecules, so if they reacted, it is possible cross contamination occurred. Knowing whether cross contamination occurred allows students to examine their results more carefully.

If color changes to dark blue it is positive, if there is no color change then the test is negative. Mine was negative with no color change. This test narrowed the search to genus zymomonas and families Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae. The next test I used to bring the search down to two families Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae was the nitrate reduction test. The nitrate reduction test determines if the bacteria can reduce nitrate to nitrite.

There are four types of biomolecules, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates are large chains of sugar found in food and living tissues. This includes sugars, starch, and cellulose. They have the same ratio of hydrogen and oxygen that water has, 2:1. They are broken down to release energy in the animal body. Lipids are any organic compounds that are fatty acids and don’t dissolve in water but do in organic solvents. Fatty acids can be found in natural oils, waxes, and steroids. Proteins are macromolecules that do everything in the cell. They are tools and machines that make things happen. Nucleic acids are long strands of nucleotides, and function primarily in storage and transmission of genetic information. There are two types of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA. DNA is the genetic material of all cellular organisms, and RNA sends out messages from the information that is held in the DNA.

The null hypothesis will be that the test tubes with an increase in temperature, pH values, enzyme concentrations, and substrate concentration will have a very small color change or no color change at all. The alternate hypothesis is that the test tubes containing an increase in temperature, pH values, enzyme concentrations, and substrate concentration will all have an intense color change; the more the change, the more intense the color change will be.

13. To test for lipids, divide the piece of brown paper into 9 equal sections.

Solutions and color reaction for Benedict’s test for reducing sugars and 2 iodine test for starch

4.Measure 35mL of warm water and add them into each of the 4 test tubes at about roughly the same time. It is essential that the water is warm. Do not seal the test tube.

Water Quality & Contamination Abstract My report was based on how ground water may be affected by many containments present in our surroundings. I believed that all of the water samples would have been contaminated once mixed with the soil. As I predicted vinegar filtered through the soil and came out fairly clean.

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.