Activity no.

4
Test for the Presence of Biomolecules

Introduction
All living things are made up of molecules which comprise the cells. The cells are
composed of both inorganic and organic substances. The most abundant inorganic component of
the cell is water. Around 70% to 90% of the cell is water.
Organic substances such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are also abundant in the
cell. Carbohydrates are organic compounds produced during photosynthesis. When consumed,
these provide energy for the body examples of carbohydrates are glucose, maltose, cellulose,
starch, and glycogen.
Lipids are also very good sources of energy for the body. How could one identify the
presence of these substances?
In the cytoplasm of animal cells, protein are the most abundant organic compounds.
Proteins differ in structure and composition. The egg white in the chicken egg is mostly
composed of amino acids. Amino acids easily coagulate under certain conditions.
This activity will help test for the presence of biomolecules in the specimens. Be careful
in conducting the given exercises.

Objectives
After this exercise, the students should be able to:
1. Identify the presence of biomolecules in the samples provided.
2. Be able to differentiate the result of the tests for the biomolecules.

Materials
Sliced potato petri dish
Fatty pork meat Sudan IV or Sudan black dye
Egg (egg white solution) Iodine solution
Sugar solution two test tubes
70% ethanol solution burner/hotplate
Alcohol lamp

Procedure
1. Place a slice of potato in a petri dish and add a drop of tincture of iodine solution.
Observe any color change and write it down.
2. Get a small slice of the meat and immerse it in 70% ethanol solution saturated with Sudan
IV or Sudan black dye (this could be done separately). Observe the color of the meat. Did
it change?
3. Prepare two test tubes. Put 10 cc of egg white solution in one test tube and 10 cc sugar
solution in the other. Heat the test tube with egg white solution for a few seconds and
take note of any change in the solution. Once turbidity or cloudiness is observed, remove
the tube from the flame. Record the results. Repeat the process using the other test tube
and take notice if the same change will occur. Document the results.
Results
A. Draw the following set-ups.

1. Sliced potato with iodine solution 2. Meat with Sudan IV or Sudan black
dye

3. Test tube with egg white solution 4. Test tube with sugar solution

B. Answer the following questions.

1. What color changes were observed in the photo? What does this test indicate?

2. When Sudan IV was applied, what color change was observed in the meat? What does
this test indicate?
3. When Sudan black dye was applied, what happened to the meat? Was there a color
change? What does this indicate?

4. Did any change occur in the egg white solution after it was heated? What does this
change indicate? Give examples of foods rich in protein that show the same effect when
heated.

5. What happened to the sugar solution after it was heated? Was the change similar to the
egg solution? Why? Interpret the results.