- Major: Pre-Pharmacy

- Title: Identification of macromolecules

- Date: 0ctober 12, 2012

I. Introduction:

Organic compounds are compounds that are found in living organisms

and contain carbon. Large molecules made up of many small organic
molecules that are often referred to as monomers; e.g., carbohydrates,
lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Macromolecules are polymers of
monomers.

Carbohydrates: The two main forms of carbohydrates are sugars (such

as fructose, glucose, and lactose) and starches, which are found in foods
such as starchy vegetables, grains, rice, breads, and cereals. The body
breaks down (or converts) most carbohydrates into the sugar glucose,
which is absorbed into the bloodstream.

Lipids: Lipids have been defined as a heterogeneous group of naturally

occurring substances that are insoluble in water but soluble in organic
solvent such as ether, chloroform, benzene, and acetone. All lipids
contain phosphorus and nitrogen. Most lipids are soft solids or liquids at
room temperature and are difficult to crystallize.
Proteins: proteins are essential building blocks for living systems—
hence their name, drawn from the Greek proteios.Proteins are integral to
the formation of DNA, a molecule that contains genetic codes for
inheritance, and of hormones. Protein structures generally are described at
four levels: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. Primary
structure is simply the two-dimensional linear sequence of amino acids in
the peptide chain.

Nucleic acids: Nucleic acids are some of the most significant molecules
found in living organisms. Their role is to store and transmit genetic
information to build proteins, allowing organisms to function as they
should

II. Objectives:

1. Identification of macromolecules by using different tests and

solutions.
2. Description of the practical tests, stating the results and ending
with general conclusions.

III. Achieving goals :

 Detection for diabetes:
We take a sample from his blood or urine, we add Benedict's
Solution …if the color of this sample changes to brick or orange
color

 +ve test

 He is Diabetic person
  Benedict's test is used for identification of glucose and its
positive results show the presence of reducing sugar.

 Addition a Benedict's Solution for two unknown substances

which have been heated shows :
-1st tube: a green color
 -ve test
 Slight glucose
 Slight reducing sugar

-2nd tube: a brown color

 +ve test => Presence of glucose

 Presence of reducing sugar

 Verifying a soft drink which contains diet soda:

We take a sample from this soda in a test tube, we add Benedict's
Solution:
- If the color changes to brick red or orange
 +ve test => presence of sugar => presence of reducing sugar
 Its soda sweetened with fructose.
-If the color remains blue
 -ve test
 It’s a diet soda

 When we eat French fries ,the potato material is broken down in

our small intestine into small subunits which is glucose that come
from potato starch which can be identified by Lugol's solution.

 The macromolecules which can be identified by Sudan IV is

Lipids which has a carboxyl group.

 We take a sample from this food, we add Sudan IV solution ,as a

results 2layer would be formed (lipid is non polar so it
precipitates ).
  +ve test => presence of lipids.

 To test the presence of sugar:

-We take a sample from this unknown food we add Benedict's
solution if the color changes from blue to brick red
 +ve test => presence of sugar => presence of reducing
sugar.
 -if –ve test , we try another test we take a sample again add
lugol's solution if the color changes to dark blue color so it
contains a non reducing sugar.
 if lugol's test shows –ve also , so it’s a sugar free food.

 The purpose behind using distilled water in chemical test because it

plays the role of control experiment that shows the negative test.

VI. Practical Experiments:

- First Experiment:
We have four test tubes containing 1.sucrose, 2.maltose, 3.glucose and
4.distilled water; we add Benedict's solution to the test tubes.

In tube 1, no changes in color it remains blue, negative test, absence of

reducing sugar.

In tube 2 and 3, the color becomes orange, positive test, presence of

reducing sugar.

In tube 4, no changes in color it remains, negative test, control test.

- Second experiment:
We take a slice of Potato we add Lugol's solution, it shows dark blue
color, positive test, presence of starch ( potassium iodide reacts with
starch)

- Third Experiment:
Take a sample of albumin which is rich in protein, add Biuret solution,it
shows purple color, positive test, presence of protein

- Fourth Experiment:
Take a lipid solution in a test tube, add Sudan IV, its shows 2 layers,
positive test, presence of lipids.

References of the introduction:

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5475680_definition-nucleic-acids.html

http://www.foodscience-avenue.com/2008/05/definition-of-lipids.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/protein