Experim

Basic Chemistry for Investigating

Living Systems

Basic
Chemistry
Investigating Living
Syste
ms

for

Margaret
Vorndam, M.S.
Version 42-003000-01

Lab Report Assistant

This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report.
The Lab Report Assistant is simply a summary of the experiments questions,
diagrams if needed, and data tables that should be addressed in a formal lab
report. The intent is to facilitate students writing of lab reports by providing
this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor.

Obser vations
Data Table 1: Biuret Reagent Test for
Hypothesis:
Contains
Protein

(Student to fill in)

Is test substance
present/
absent?
absent

Test
Tube
1

Contains
Water

No

Albumen

yes

purple

Present but not as much

Amylase

yes

light

present

no
Potato
Starch
Onion Juice no
Potato Juice no

No color

Absent

purple

Present but not as much

purple

Present but not as much

5
6

Final
Color

No color

Data Table 2: Iodine Solution Test for

Test
Tube
1
2
3

Contains
Water
Albumen
Amylase
om

Hypothesis
Contains
Starch

(Student to fill in)

No

Amber

Is test substance
present/
absent?
Absent

No

Amber

Absent

No

Amber

Absent

Final Color

Hands-On

Experim
4
5
6

Potato
Yes
Starch
Onion JuiceYes
Yes
Potato
Juice

Basic Chemistry for Investigating

Living Systems

www.HOLscience.c
om

Dark blue

present

amber

absent

Dark blue

present

Hands-On

Data Table 3: Benedicts Reagent Test for

(Student to fill
in)
Hypothesis
Is test substance
Test
Contains Contains
Final Color
present/
Tube
Sugar Yes
absent?
1

Water

No

Light blue

Absent

Glucose

yes

orange

present

Albumen
Potato
Starch
Onion

No

blue

absent

no

Light blue

absent

no

blue

Small amount

Potato
Juice

no

blue

Small amout

4
5
6

Data Table 4: Lipid

Hypothesis:
Contains
Test Results
lipids, or

Macromolecule Being
Tested
No
Potato Starch
No
Onion Juice
Yes
Vegetable Oil
No
Distilled Water
No
Albumen
No
Potato Juice

Results from
Test
Stayed
in circle
Stayed in circle
Went outside the circle
Stayed in circle
Went outside the circle
Went outside the circle

Data Table 5: Testing the Chemical Composition of Cells

Indicate a + mark if the reagent reacts with test substance.
Indicate a - mark if the reagent does NOT react with test substance.
Test
Biuret
Iodine
Benedicts
Sudan III
Substance
Solution
Stain
Reagent
+
Protein
(Albumen)
+
Sugar
+
Starch
+
Lipid

Exercise 1: Testing for the Presence of

Proteins in
Cells
Questions
A. What is the test substance? Protein

B. Which test tube represents the control? Why? The one with the water. When protein
molecules are present, Biuret Reagent reacts with the protein to form a purple color. Tube
number one is the control tube because it is distilled water and has no protein; the tube
has no

C. Which test tube contained the most test substance? Amylase

D. Other than the control, which test tube contained the least test substance? I was
unable to tell because Im not sure how much that there was enough protein.

E. Did the results agree with your initial hypothesis in every case? Why or why not? Yes
Starches and sugars are helped by protein enzymes and Amylase is an enzyme. Eggs are
a good source of protein, so I thought Albumen would have protein

F. What are your conclusions about your results? There is a lot of protein in certain
foods, but the biuret reagent isnt strong enough to pick up small amounts

G. If the color change is not as you expected, what might be the reasons? Maybe it was
contaminated

H. Add another 5 drops of Biuret Reagent to each test tube and stir as before. Do your
results
change? no I did not notice any change

Discuss
ion
A. What is the purpose of this
exercise? To use color to detect
if substances have protein
since biuret reagent would react
with a protein to form a purple
color

B. Why is it important to clean droppers and equipment between

chemical uses? To avoid contamination

C. What other types of foods or substances contain high

levels of protein? Meats fish

D. Suggest a situation where you might use the Biuret Reagent

colorimetric test. If testing for protein in your urine and kidney
disease

E.
What other types of analytical procedures detect the
presence of proteins? Lowry Method

Exercise 2: Testing for the Presence

of
Starch
in
Cells
Questions
A. What is the test substance? starch

B.
Which test tube represents the
control? Why? WATER Water has no
starch and it turned amber, so if your
color was amber, you had no starch

C. Which test tube contained the most test

substance? Potato starch

D. Other than the control, which test tube contained the least
test substance? Albumen and amylase

E. Did the results agree with your initial hypothesis in each case,
why or why not? Yes, potatoes are known to have starch, and they
did. I didnt expect the proteins
to have starch

F.
What are your conclusions about
the results? Carbohydrates make up a lot of
food sources, but theyre not in every natural
food source

G. If the color change is not as you expected it to be, what might

be the reasons? That items I did, did not think had starch,
actually did have it

Discuss
ion
A. What is the purpose of this
exercise? Iodine reacts with
carbohydrates to form a dark
blue color, so you would know if
the
substance
had
carbohydrates based on the
color it turned.

B. What other types of foods or substances contain high

levels of starch? Wheat grains

C. Suggest a situation where you might use the iodine

colorimetric test. Testing for thyroid issues

D. What other types of analytical procedures detect the

presence of starch? To describe and to test the present of
starch

Exercise 3: Testing for the Presence

of
Sugar
in
Cells
Questions
A. What is the test substance? Sugar

B.
Which test tube represents the
control? Why?
Water There is no sugar in water, and it turned a light blue.
Any test with that color would mean that there was no sugar

C. Which test tube contained the most test substance? Glucose

D. Besides the control, which test tube contained the least test substance? Potato starch

E. Did the results agree with your initial hypothesis in every case? Why or why not? YES
The test specifically looks for glucose, so other carbohydrates and starches that dont
have glucose, will not show sugar

F. What are you conclusions about the results? Sugar will react with the reagent

G. If the color change is not as expected, what might be the reasons? It may have been
contaminated

Discussion
A. What is the purpose of this exercise? Benedicts reagent reacts with glucose to make
an orange color, so by putting it into other substances, we can see if they contain
glucose

B. Suggest a scenario where you might use the Benedicts reagent colorimetric test.
Check for diabetes

C. How might one determine whether the potato or onion contains more sugar? Look at
the color when benedicts reagent has been added to it

D. What other types of foods or substances contain high levels of sugar? Milk fruits
honey candy

E. What other types of analytical procedures detect the presence of sugars? A chemical
one

Exercise 4: Testing for the Presence

of Lipids in Cells
Questions
A.
What is the test
substance? lipids

B. Which test tube represents the

control? Water,
because
lipids
are
not water soluble, so it would stay
in the circle and not spread out
C. Which test tube contained the most test
substance? vegetable oil

D. Other than the control, which test tube contained the least
test substance? Onion juice and potato starch
E. Did the results agree with your initial hypothesis in every case?
Explain why or not. Yes I anticipated that vegetable oil would have
the best reaction as its the opposite of water, which was control.

F. If the color change is not as you expected it to be, what might

be the reason(s)? no color change was noted

Discuss
ion
A. What is the purpose of this
exercise? Lipids are not water
soluble, so you could tell if a
substance had lipids because it
would dissolve and
spread out

B. Explain the molecular basis as to why Sudan III can be used to detect the
presence of lipids, but not sugar or proteins. Why can Biuret, Benedict's, and
Iodine Reagents detect the presence of proteins, starches, and sugars, but
not lipids? Sugars, starches, and proteins are all water soluble, but lipids are not
C. What other types of foods or substances contain high
levels of lipids? Nuts cooking oils

D. What other types of analytical procedures detect the

presence of lipids? Detergent method

E. Fill in the summary Table 5 in the Lab Report Assistant section by noting
which complexing reagents (dyes) can be used to determine which cellular
components. Use + to indicate that the dye will detect the component, and
to indicate that it will not detect the component.

Laboratory
Summary
What have you learned from doing this
laboratory? I learned how to use colors to
test for
the presence of important
food
items