Chemical Compounds in Cells

Introduction: Cells contain organic compounds and inorganic

compounds. Organic compounds contain carbon atoms combined with
other atoms. Organic compounds found in cells are proteins,
carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Inorganic compounds are
compounds that do not contain carbon as the main element except for
carbonates. Inorganic compounds found in cells are water, salt and trace
elements such as calcium and manganese.
Aim: To identify and locate some chemical compounds in cells.
Hypothesis: When drops of reagent are added to the chemical
compounds, it will indicate the presence of chemical compounds in cells.
Equipment:

Dilute NaOH
Dilute CuSO4
Iodine
Benedicts solution
Silver nitrate solution
Scalpel
Bunsen burner
Mortar and pestle
Food samples
Brown paper

Method:
1. Pour eggwhite in a test tube and add 10 drops of sodium hydroxide
and 10 drops of CuSO4.
2. Pour apple juice in a test tube and heat it gently.
3. Add 5 drops of Benedict's solution to it.
4. Add 2 drops of iodine directly on a potato.
5. Take a piece of potato chips and rub it onto a brown paper. Allow it
to dry.
6. Crush another potato chip using mortar and pestle and add water to
it. Then place it in a test tube and add 2 drops of silver nitrate to the
test tube.
7. Observe the changes to each food samples.
Results:
Material
Protein Eggwhite
Glucose - Apple
juice

Description
10 drops of NaOH and 10
drops of CuSO4 were added
to the eggwhite.
The apple juice was warmed
in a test tube in a beaker of

Resulting Colour
Blue/Green

Orange

Starch - Potato
chips
Lipid - Potato
chip
Sodium chloride
- Chip

water. Then 5 drops of

Benedict's solution were
added.
2 drops of iodine were added
to potato
Rubbed potato chips against
brown paper.
Potato chip was crushed in
mortar and pestle with water
and 2 drops of silver nitrate
were added to it.

Blue black
Translucent mark
White

Conclusion: The experiment was conducted to identify some chemical

compounds present in cells. Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic
acids are organic compounds and sodium chloride is an inorganic
compound.
Discussion: The main groups of organic compounds found in cells are
carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. The main inorganic
compounds found in cells are water and salts.
This experiment was carried out to identify and locate some chemical
compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and
sodium chloride in cells. Sodium chloride is an inorganic compound. Food
samples were tested and the chemical compounds in cells were identified.
In order to identify these chemical compounds, reagent should be added
to the food material.
To identify chemical compounds in cells different reagents were added to
different food materials. To identify protein, 10 drops of sodium hydroxide
and 10 drops of copper sulphate were added to the eggwhite. The colour
changed to blue green which was a negative result because the colour
was supposed to change to pink violet. Glucose was tested in apple juice
by heating the test tube gently and adding 5 drops of Benedict's solution.
After few minutes the colour changed from green to orange. To identify
starch in potato, 2 drops of iodine were added and it turned blue black. To
identify lipids, potato chip was rubbed against brown paper and it left a
translucent mark. To identify sodium chloride, initially the potato chip was
crushed using mortar and pestle and then 2 drops of silver nitrate were
added. When silver nitrate was added the colour changed from yellow to
white. All the results obtained were positive except couldn't identify
protein.
To improve the results obtained, the food materials should have been
viewed under a microscope so the compounds could have been located
inside the cell. The experiment should have been repeated at least 3
times to get more reliable results.