General Biology Practical - BIOL201: Lab 4: Chemistry of Living Organisms

General Biology Practical - BIOL201
Lab 4: Chemistry of Living Organisms
Written by Salhah Alzahrany

Formatted & Revised by Dr. Maryam Haroon AL-Soufi
Presentation Outline
➢ Chemistry of Lliving Organisms
❖ Introduction
❖ Objectives
❖ Carbohydrates
❑ Carbohydrates in Biological Systems
❑ Complex Carbohydrates
❑ Benedict's Test for Glucose Detection
❖ Proteins
❑ Biuret Test for Proteins
❖ Enzymes
❑ Enzymes Experiment
❑ Lipids
❑ Sudan III Test for Fats
❑ Lab Worksheet (Recording of Observation)
Introduction
➢ Biochemistry is one of the branches of natural science that deals the
chemical structure of the cell.
➢ All of the molecules of life are built with carbon atoms.
➢ The molecules of life (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids)
are organic, which means they consist mainly of carbon and hydrogen
atoms.
Objectives
After this laboratory class, you should be able:
1. To identify four types of organic compounds ( carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, and nucleic acids) essential to human functioning;
1. To detect the presence of these organic compounds.

Carbohydrates
➢ Carbohydrates are organic compounds that consist of carbon, hydrogen,

and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.
➢ Cells use different kinds as structural materials, for fuel, and for storing and
transporting energy.
Carbohydrates in Biological Systems
A. Simple Sugars:
• Monosaccharides have a backbone of five or six carbon
atoms, one ketone or aldehyde group, and tow or more
hydroxyl groups.
• Most Monosaccharides are water soluble, so they are easily
transported throughout the internal environments of all
organisms.
• Example: Glucose used in the call as an energy source or as
structural material.
Carbohydrates in Biological Systems, Continuous
B. Short-Chain Carbohydrates
An oligosaccharides is a short chain of covalently bonded Monosaccharides
(olig-means a few).
Example:
1. Lactose a disaccharide, with one glucose and one galactose unit.
2- Sucrose a disaccharide with one glucose and one fructose unit.
Complex Carbohydrates
C. Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are straight or branched chains of many monosaccharides ,
often hundreds or thousands.
Example: Cellulose, starch, glycogen and chitin consisting of glucose

monomers with different chemical properties.
Benedict's Test for Glucose Detection
Materials
Benedict's Test for Glucose Detection, Continuous
Procedure 1. Using a dropper, take a small quantity of Benedict’s reagent.
2. Add the reagent to the test tube containing banana extract.
3. Put the test tube in the water bath for 2 minutes holding the
test tube firmly with a test tube holder.
4. Keep shaking the test tube as it is being heated.
5. A brick red precipitate appears, indicating the presence of

glucose in the banana extract.
Principle of Reducing sugars under alkaline condition tautomerise and
Benedict’s Test form enediols. Enediols are powerful reducing agents. They
can reduce cupric ions (Cu2+) to cuprous form (Cu+), which
is responsible for the change in color of the reaction
mixture. The colouration developed and the amount of
precipitate formed (Cuprous oxide) depends upon the
amount of reducing sugars present.
Conclusion On boiling banana extract with the Benedict’s reagent, the

cupric ion present in the Benedict’s reagent is reduced by
the reducing agent, sugar, to form an orange red / brick
red colored precipitate of cuprous oxide.
Proteins
➢ A protein is an organic compound composed of one or more

chains of amino acids.
➢ Proteins perform many functions within organisms, including :
catalyzing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to
stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another.
Biuret Test for Proteins Detection
Materials
Principle of In the presence of alkaline medium, cupric ions given by

Biuret test cuso4 reacts with peptide linkage to form the bluish-violet
coloured complex. The intensity of colour depends upon the
amount of protein present in the solution.
Biuret Test for Proteins Detection
Procedure 1. Put a small quantity of egg albumin to the test tube .
2. Using a dropper, Add a few drops of NaOH solution to the
test tube containing egg albumin.
3. Using a dropper, Add 2-3 drops of CuSO4 solution to the test
tube containing egg albumin.
4. Shake the solution to mix it well.
5. A violet colour appears in the test tube, which indicates the
presence of proteins.
Enzymes
Introduction
➢ Thousands of enzymes are found in living cells where they act as
catalysts for the thousands of chemical reactions which occur.
➢ Many enzymes have numerous applications that affect our daily lives in
other ways such as food processing, clinical diagnoses.
Enzymes Experiment
Catalase: Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is naturally formed in living organisms,
however it is very harmful and is broken down immediately by several
enzymes including catalase. This enzyme catalyses the breakdown of
hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen.
Enzymes Experiment, Continuous
1. 2 Test tubes.
2. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (3% solution).
Materials
Required 3. Assorted living tissue: raw potato.
4. Assorted non-living material: piece of baked potato.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is naturally formed in living
organisms, however it is very harmful and is broken down
Principle of
immediately by several enzymes including catalase. This
the test enzyme catalyses the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide to
water and oxygen.
1. Fill each of test tubes approximately 1/3 full with fresh
hydrogen peroxide.
Procedure 2. Add a small amount of material to be tested.
3. Note whether or not bubbles are produced.
Any fresh, living material will normally have enough catalase

present to produce bubbles of gas (oxygen) upon exposure to
Results
the hydrogen peroxide.
Lipids
➢ Lipids are fatty, oily, or waxy organic compounds that are insoluble in
water.
➢ Many lipids incorporate fatty acids: simple organic compounds that

have a carboxyl group joined to a backbone of four to thirty-six
carbon atoms.
Sudan III Test for Fats
Materials
Required
Sudan III is a red fat-soluble dye that is utilized in the

identification
Principle of of the presence of lipids, triglycerides and
lipoproteins.
Sudan III test
The Reaction: Sudan III reacts with the lipids or triglycerides
to stain red in colour.
Sudan III Test for Fats
1. Put a small quantity of oil to the test tube.
2. Using a dropper, Add few drops of Sudan III reagent to
the test tube containing oil.
Procedure
3. Shake the solution to mix it well.
4. Pink droplets appear indicating the presence of fat in
the sample.
The oil will stain red with Sudan III dye since it is a lipid
and contains triglycerides. However, since the oil is less
Result dense than water and insoluble in water, the oil will form
a layer above the water and appear as a red layer
above the water in the test tube.
The result
Thanks for your attention
Lab Worksheet
Recording of Observation
Fill in the table below with the name and principle of the experiment(test)and its results:
Name of the experiment Principle of the experiment The Results

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General Biology Practical - BIOL201

Lab 4: Chemistry of Living Organisms

Written by Salhah Alzahrany

1. To detect the presence of these organic compounds.

➢ Carbohydrates are organic compounds that consist of carbon, hydrogen,

Example: Cellulose, starch, glycogen and chitin consisting of glucose

2. Add the reagent to the test tube containing banana extract.

4. Keep shaking the test tube as it is being heated.

5. A brick red precipitate appears, indicating the presence of

Conclusion On boiling banana extract with the Benedict’s reagent, the

➢ A protein is an organic compound composed of one or more

Principle of In the presence of alkaline medium, cupric ions given by

Any fresh, living material will normally have enough catalase

➢ Many lipids incorporate fatty acids: simple organic compounds that

Sudan III is a red fat-soluble dye that is utilized in the

Name of the experiment Principle of the experiment The Results

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