Harvest Christian School International, 24-B, Tres,
M. Borces St. Cebu City, 6000, Cebu
BIOLOGY 10
Lab: Identifying Nutrients
By Kara Mandawe Patel
Grade 10 - HCSI
January 05, 2022
“ THE ESSENCE OF UNEARTHING
NUTRIENTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE ”
Lab: Identifying Nutrients, titled as “The Essence of Unearthing Nutrients In Everyday Life” divulges and dives
into identifying different nutrients we see in our different foods. Meals in our everyday life from breakfast to
lunch to dinner and to untimely short length meals (such as snacktime).
I. INTRODUCTION
1. PURPOSE: This lab undergoes experiments in which samples are tested to see which
had monosaccharides, polysaccharides, lipids, and proteins. This information is
beneficial in composing healthy diets.
2. QUESTION: Which macromolecules are in the mystery food sample?
3. HYPOTHESIS: Hypothetically, if the mystery food were to be tofu, then it would react
with the reagent which indicates the presence of a protein due to the fact that tofu is
primarily a protein.
4. VARIABLES
- Dependent Variable: color changes observed in tests
- Independent Variables: the presence of macromolecules (proteins lipids,
monosaccharides, and polysaccharides)
II. HYPOTHESIS
● If a sample turns pink with a biuret solution, it is a protein.
● If a sample becomes blue or black with the lugol’s solution, it contains
polysaccharide.
● If a sample has a dark red floating layer with the sudan red solution, it contains
lipids.
● If a sample changes to red with benedict’s solution, it contains monosaccharides.
III. MATERIALS
Mystery Food Sample
- 3 test tubes
- Hot pad
- Hot plate
- Graduated pipette
- 100 mL beaker
- Test tube tongs
- Insulated gloves
- Latex (or similar) gloves
Indicators
- Biuret reagent (a protein indicator)
- Sudan red (a lipid indicator)
- Lugol’s solution (a polysaccharide indicator)
- Benedict’s solution (a monosaccharide indicator)
Positive Control Treatments
- Liquid gelatin (a protein)
- Vegetable oil (a lipid)
- Polysaccharide mixture
- Monosaccharide solution
Negative Control Treatment
- Water
IV. PROCEDURE
1. Gather said materials in III.
2. Test for the Presence of Proteins
- abel three test tubes “G” for liquid gelatin, “H20” for water, and “???” for the
L
mystery food sample. Use the graduated pipette to fill each test tube with
approximately 5 mL of its respective solution, rinsing the pipette with tap water
after each use.
- Biuret reagent indicates the presence of a protein by turning a solution pink/purple.
Use the pipette to add 3 mL of the Biuret reagent to each of the three test tubes.
Record the color of the solutions in your data table.
- Draw a conclusion about the mystery food sample, and record it in the data table.
- Dispose of the materials following your teacher’s instructions. Rinse the test tubes
with tap water, and dry them for storage. Put away all other materials.
3. Test for the Presence of Lipids
- Label three test tubes “Oil” for vegetable oil, “H20” for water, and “???” for the
mystery food sample. Use the graduated pipette to fill each test tube with 3 mL of its
respective material, rinsing the pipette with tap water after each use.
- Sudan red indicates the presence of a lipid by causing a floating layer of the mixture
to turn red. Use the pipette to add four drops of Sudan red to each of the three test
tubes. While wearing latex gloves, cap the end of each test tube with your thumb,
and shake the mixture. Record the color of the solutions in your data table.
- Draw a conclusion about the mystery food sample and record it in the data table.
- Dispose of the materials following your teacher’s instructions. Rinse the test tubes
with tap water for later use.
4. Test for the Presence of Polysaccharide
- Label three test tubes “PS” for polysaccharide, “H20” for water, and “???” for the
mystery food sample. Use the graduated pipette to fill each test tube with 3 mL of its
respective mixture, rinsing the pipette with tap water after each use.
- Lugol’s solution indicates the presence of polysaccharides by turning a mixture
blue/black. Use the pipette to add four to five drops of Lugol’s solution to each of the
three test tubes. Record the color of the solutions in your data table.
- Draw a conclusion about the mystery food sample, and record it in the data table.
- Dispose of the materials following your teacher’s instructions. Rinse the test tubes
with tap water for later use.
5. Test for the Presence of Monosaccharides
- Label three test tubes “MS” for monosaccharide, “H20” for water, and “???” for the
mystery food sample. Use the graduated pipette to fill each test tube with 3 mL of its
respective solution, rinsing the pipette with tap water after each use.
- Benedict’s solution indicates the presence of monosaccharides by turning a solution
red. Use the pipette to add 1 ml of Benedict’s solution to each of the three test tubes.
Record the color of the solutions in your data table.
- Place the test tubes in a water bath, and place the water bath on a hot plate. Heat to a
gentle boil. After boiling for three minutes, remove the water bath from the hot
plate, and remove the test tubes from the water bath. Record the color of the
solution in each test tube in your data table.
- Draw a conclusion about the mystery food sample and record it in the data table.
- Dispose of the materials following your teacher’s instructions. Rinse the test tubes
with tap water for late use.
V. DATA
PROTEIN TEST (Biruet)
Positive Control Negative Control Mystery Food Sample
Pink or Purple None Not Pink or Purple
INFERENCE: The Mystery Food Sample does not contain protein due to the fact that the
color of the test tube was not pink nor’ purple.
LIPID TEST (Sudan Red)
Positive Control Negative Control Mystery Food Sample
Top Red Layer No Red Layer Red Layer on Top
INFERENCE: The Mystery Food Sample does contain lipids as the test tube had a floating
red layer.
POLYSACCHARIDE TEST (Lugol’s Solution)
Positive Control Negative Control Mystery Food Sample
Blue Not Blue Not Blue
INFERENCE: The Mystery Food Sample does not contain polysaccharides because the color
of the test tube was not blue nor’ black.
MONOSACCHARIDE TEST (Benedict’s Solution)
Positive Control Negative Control Mystery Food
Sample
Color Before Heat Blue Blue Blue
Color After Heat Red Not Red Not Red
INFERENCE: The Mystery Food Sample does not contain monosaccharides as the color of
the test tube was not red.
VI. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the lab report containing various lab samples tested for nutrients by
chemical means’ purpose were fulfilled, proving the hypotheses to be correct. According to
the data, the student most probable in leaving a mess in the classroom was Nicole. Nicole
had a salad with salad dressing; salad dressings contain lipids and the mystery food sample
reacted to the Lipid Test (Sudan Red).
As seen in the data, the mystery food sample during the protein test wherein the protein
can be detected through the change of color in which it transforms to pink. The mystery
food sample did not turn pink and stayed the same, undergoing no changes. For the
polysaccharide test, the color turned to light brown beige, not blue or black (in which
would indicate contains of polysaccharides). On the monosaccharide test, the sample when
added the Benedict’s solution turned to a darker blue hue; not turning to red. Red indicates
contaminants of monosaccharides, therefore it did not contain so. While for the lipids test,
there must be a floating dark red layer to indicate lipids. The mystery food sample in fact
had this layer: which makes it clear, the mystery food sample contained lipids.
Lipids are molecules containing hydrocarbons that make up the building blocks of structure
and function of living cells, these include fats, waxes, oils, and more. Foods rich in oil such
as salad dressing are high in lipids. As stated, Nicole had salad and salad dressing.
Therefore, the conclusion has come to an outcome: Nicole made the mess.
