BIO 2210 Introductory Biochemistry

Laboratory exercise 4
Date: February 28, 2017
Identifying Lipids by their properties

1 INTRODUCTION

Chemically, lipids are defined as esters of glycerol and fatty acids or as the triglycerides of fatty
acids. They are insoluble in water (hydrophobic), and this property is put to great use in the
organisation of cells and tissues. Lipids are soluble in non-polar solvents such as ether, chloroform
and benzene. For this lab, you will be conducting the EMULSIFICATION TEST.

2 MATERIALS & METHOD

Add water ( 1ml) to 2ml of olive oil in a test tube and shake. Wait and observe what happens to
the emulsion that forms. Then, add an equal amount (2mg) of caustic soda solution (sodium
hydroxide), mix thoroughly. Record the outcome at each stage.

Caution: NaOH is caustic and can burn you! When NaOH is dissolved in water,
a lot of heat is given off. This solution may become very hot. Remember to add
the base to the water and NOT the other way around.
3 OUTPUT

A printed report to be submitted on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, upon entering your lab session. This
report will be done in groups of 4 ONLY. No individual reports.

Your report MUST be typed in font: TNR, size: 12, justify, line spacing 1.5 on letter size page
(2.54 cm margins).

List of headings to be incorporated in your report:

1 INTRODUCTION No more than of a page. You are simply introducing lipids and their
properties (please use your own introduction) and the experiment conducted. Please be
reminded that your AIM/OBJETCIVES are subheadings of the introduction.
2 MATERIALS & METHODS see above. Method must be written in a paragraph form and
in the past tense.
3 RESULTS: A short paragraph of your observations at each step.
4 DISCUSSION This is based on the significance of the experiment conducted, stating
reasons why you observed such results. Be sure to include your In text references.
5 CONCLUSION
6 REFERENCES Must be done in the APA Style.

Please DO NOT start each heading on a new page and if possible, kindly print back and front, if
you can.

BIO 2210 Kalicharan, L. (2017)