Biological Macromolecules and Enzymes

Caroline Hire

11-09-2020
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Data

Activity 1

Data Table 1

Test Tube ID Observations

Test tube 1 Test tube 1 was the control, it was all the same bright yellow color
Water + iodine potassium iodide throughout except for a hint of orange at the bottom of the tube.

Test tube 2 Test tube 2 slowly turned to a very dark purple/ almost black color at
Water + potato starch + iodine the bottom while the rest of the solution was a golden color. There
was some dark purple powder on the sides at the bottom of tube.
potassium iodide
Test tube 3 As the iodine dissolved it began to dissolve into a bright yellowish
Water + albumin solution + color much like test tube 1 expect 3 had a strong dark orange color at
the very bottom of the tube.
iodine potassium iodide

1. Describe the controls used in the starch test (Activity 1).

The controls used in the starch test were water and iodine potassium iodide.

Activity 2

Data Table 2

Test Tube ID Observations

Test tube 1 Turned to a clear blue right away once the Biuret reagent was added.
Water + Biuret reagent It is negative.

Test tube 2
Water + albumin solution + Turned to a light purple color meaning its positive. It has protein
Biuret reagent
Test tube 3
Turned blue indicating it is negative meaning it has no protein
Water + potato starch solution + present.
Biuret reagent

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Activity 3

Data Table 3

Test Tube ID Observation

Water In the 15 minutes the water expanded and was drying up becoming
translucent.

Vegetable or olive oil The olive oil quickly expanded and became opaque.

Vinegar The apple cider vinegar expanded where the very middle where I
placed the vinegar didn’t.

Salad dressing Only the outer edge of the ranch dressing expanded a bit and became
transparent.

Mustard or ketchup The mustard dried up and became transparent on the outer edge.

Unknown A The honey expanded a little bit, but did not became opaque.

Unknown B The BBQ sauce did not expand nor became transparent

Unknown C The strawberry jam did not expand nor became transparent.

2. In the quick test for fats (Activity 3), is there a relationship between the size of the spot and
the fat content of the food? Explain your answer.

In the quick test for fats, yes there is a relationship between the size and fat content because it
seems the bigger the spot has expanded there is fat in it and if it is smaller then there is not as
much fat.

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Activity 4

Data Table 4

Test Tube ID Observation

Test tube 1a
1a evenly had the same clear light purple color all throughout in the
Albumin + pepsin + HCl + tube.
Biuret reagent before incubation
Test tube 2a
2a had a darker purple at the very bottom of the tube where the rest
Albumin + pepsin + water + was a clear light purple just like 1a.
Biuret reagent before incubation
Test tube 1b 1b had a more pigmented purple color than 1a. The very bottom was
Albumin + pepsin + HCl + slightly darker than the rest of the color in the tube. Had protein
present.
Biuret reagent after incubation
Test tube 2b
Albumin + pepsin + water + 2b had a pink color indicating the presence of amino acids.
Biuret reagent after incubation

3. In which test tube(s) did protein digestion occur (Activity 4)? How do you know?

Protein digestion occurred in test tube 1b because once the biuret reagent that detects if
proteins are present was added to the test tube, it turned the solution purple. Biuret regent is
made of sodium hydroxide and copper sulfate. When this blue reagent combines with the
peptide bonds found in protein and peptides, it changes to purple.

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Activity 5

Data Table 5

Cup ID Observations

Cup 1 Once the iodine-potassium iodide solution was added and mixed,
it turned to a purple color and you could still see pieces of the
Cracker + distilled water + yellow goldfish cracker. It was a liquid texture with the soggy
iodine-potassium iodide goldfish crumbs.
Cup 2 The cracker with the saliva was more of a thicker solid/pudding
Cracker + saliva + iodine- texture. When mixed with the iodine-potassium iodide the yellow
color from the cracker stayed.
potassium iodide

4. What do you think would happen if the saliva treatment of the starch (cracker) was
conducted under very cold conditions? Very hot conditions?

Saliva contains the enzyme amylase, which catalyzes the breakdown of starch into its component
sugars. If the saliva treatment of the starch was conducted under very cold conditions the
amylase will break starch down slowly due to reduced kinetic energy whereas at very hot
conditions the amylase will either break down starch very quickly or not at all due to
denaturation of the enzyme’s active site.

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Photos

Photo 1

Photo 2
Test tube 1 is the control. Test tube 2 has goldfish crackers.
Test tube 3 has bread.

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Photo 3

Photo 4

Test tube 1 is the control. Test tube 2 has goldfish

Test tube 3 has apple cider vinegar.

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Photo 5

Mustard
Water

Honey
Olive oil

Apple Cider Vinegar BBQ sauce

Strawberry Jelly
Ranch dressing

Photo 6

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Photo 7

Photos 8 & 9

On the left is cup with water, goldfish crumbs and iodine-potassium iodide. On the right is cup with
chewed goldfish and iodine-potassium iodide solution.

© 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company