Scribd
Upload
142 views2 pages

Intro Lab Report Biology 091

This document discusses an experiment to identify four major biological macromolecules - carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and reducing sugars. Carbohydrates are tested using starch and Lugol's solution, which turns blue in the presence of starch due to an interaction between iodine and amylose. Proteins are tested using Biuret reagent and albumin, which turns purple in the presence of peptide bonds. Lipids are tested using vegetable oil and Sudan IV solution, where Sudan IV leaves a colored stain in the presence of lipids. Reducing sugars are tested using glucose solution and Benedict's reagent, where copper ions undergo reduction causing a color change and precipitate.

Uploaded by

Danish Fitri Roslan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
142 views2 pages

Intro Lab Report Biology 091

This document discusses an experiment to identify four major biological macromolecules - carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and reducing sugars. Carbohydrates are tested using starch and Lugol's solution, which turns blue in the presence of starch due to an interaction between iodine and amylose. Proteins are tested using Biuret reagent and albumin, which turns purple in the presence of peptide bonds. Lipids are tested using vegetable oil and Sudan IV solution, where Sudan IV leaves a colored stain in the presence of lipids. Reducing sugars are tested using glucose solution and Benedict's reagent, where copper ions undergo reduction causing a color change and precipitate.

Uploaded by

Danish Fitri Roslan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

INTRODUCTION

Biological molecules also known as macromolecule is a variety of substances that being


synthesis by cells. Biological molecules have a numerous structures and sizes and also variety
of functions. There are four major types of biological molecules which are carbohydrates,
lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins. Each type of food that living organisms consume may have
this kind of molecules. As an example, tigers eat its preys which are other animals such as deer,
ox, or buffalo. The prey is rich in proteins that give the tigers energy to keep living. Meanwhile,
human eats a lot of food like rice, bread, meat, and ice-cream. All this type of foods contains
variety of macromolecules such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

This experiment is carried out to identify certain biological macromolecules such as


carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and also another type of sugar which is reducing sugar. For
carbohydrates, starch and Lugol”s solution is used to identify the presence of carbohydrates.
Starch is a carbohydrate that comes in 2 types (amylose and amylopectin). Amylose molecules
consist of single, mostly unbranched chains of glucose molecules and it has a shape like a
spring. It is stated that the iodine in the Lugol’s solution (in the form of I5- ions) gets stuck in
spring-like shaped of amylose. There is some transfer of charge between the starch and the
iodine. This changes the electron arrangements. The new arrangements absorb visible light
selectively and give the starch its intense blue colour.

For protein, Biuret reagent and albumin is used to test the presence of protein. Albumin is a
water-soluble protein that can be found in egg white and milk. All proteins that exist has a
specific bond that held its components together. That bond is called as peptide bond. Since all
proteins have peptide bonds so all proteins can react with Biuret reagent. Biuret reagent is a
pale blue liquid that transform into purple when peptide bonds are present. The copper atom,
(Cu) of Biuret reagent reacts with peptide bonds to cause the colour change.
Meanwhile for lipid, the substances that being used are vegetable oil and Sudan iv solution to
test the presence of lipid. Lipid is a group of organic compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen
bond. This includes fats, steroid, oils, and hormones. Please remember that fat is a lipid, but
lipid is not necessary a fat. These components are being grouped together based on a similarity
that only lipids have which is all of it are insoluble in water. Same as lipids, Sudan iv is not
soluble in water, however it is soluble in lipids. In the experiment, Sudan iv solution is added
into the vegetable oil. If lipid is present, then the solution will leave a stain with a certain colour.

Last but not least, to identify the presence of reducing sugar, the solution that being used is
glucose solution along with the Benedict’s reagent. Benedict’s reagent is blue solution that
contains copper(II) ions. In the test, copper(II) ions will undergo reduction where it will lose
an electron to become copper(I) ions, which causes the colour change and the formation of a
precipitate at the bottom of the test tube.

You might also like