LabPartner1:OscarAcevedo

LabPartner2:BrandonTorres

IndicatorLab

1.TITLE

UsingIndicatorstoexamineProtein,SugarPolymersandSugarMonomers

2.ABSTRACT

Beforethelabbeganweknewthat

BiuretandBenedictsareindicators,andthatSugarpolymersaremanysugar
monomerslinkedtogether.Writebeforethelab.Wewerewonderinghowwecanuseindicatorstoshowthe
presenceofProtein,SugarPolymersandSugarMonomers,andwehypothesizedthatifweputanindicatorin
syrup,cornstarch,oraneggthenitwillchangecolorbecausetheindicatorslookforbiologicalmolecules.Our
procedurewastouse1of3solutionsandputthespecifiedindicatorinitandrecordourobservations.Wethen
compareittothecontrol(usingwaterinsteadofindicator).Afterthelab,ourresultswerethatalloftheindicators
hadchangedcolorbutthewaterhadnochangeincolor.Weexplainedourfindingbysayingthatindicatorslook
forbiologicalmolecules,thereforeourhypothesiswassupported.

3.INTRODUCTION

Indicators
areusedinlabstogatherinformation.Indicatorsindicate(orshow)thepresenceorabsenceofa
certainchemical.Indicatorsdontactuallychangechemicalstheyjustchangecolorsiftheyfindwhattheyare
lookingfor.
ChangeColor?
Yes=Foundwhatitindicatesfor
No=Didnotfindwhatitindicatesfor
Inourlabwewilluse:

BenedictsSolution
:Whichtestsfor
sugarmonomers
(singlesugars)(HEATREQUIRED)

Iodine
:Testsfor
sugarpolymers
(chainofsugars)(HEATREQUIRED)

BiuretsSolution
:Testsfor
proteins
.(NOHEAT)
Waterwillbeusedasacontrol
(EssentialBiologywithPhysiology)
WeobservedthatbothBiuretandBenedictsareclearblueandthatIodineisclearbrown.

4.QUESTION&HYPOTHESIS
Willindicatorschangecolorsinthepresenceofbiologicalmoleculesandacontrol.
Ifweputindicatorsinsyrup,cornstarch,oraneggsolutionsthenitwillchangecolorbecausetheindicatorslook
forbiologicalmolecules.


5.MATERIALS

4Vials
Beakerwith3indicators:Biuret,Benedict's,Iodine
Plasticpipets
Erlenmeyerflaskwithwater
Syrup:SugarMonomer
Cornstarch:SugarPolymer
Egg:Protein

6.PROCEDURE

Step1a&b:
SugarMonomers:
1a:Add2mlofsugarmonomersolutiontotesttube.Add8dropsBenedicts(mixtureshouldbelightblueand
clear)
1b:Control:Add2mlofwaterinasecondtesttube.Add8dropsBenedicts(mixtureshouldbelightblueclear).

Heat
bothfor1minuteinthewaterbath.Recordyourobservationsforbothtesttubesinthetablebelow.
Cleanthetesttube.

Step2a&b:
SugarPolymers
:
2a:Add2mlofsugarpolymersolutiontotesttube.Add4dropsIodine(mixtureshouldbebrownandsomewhat
seethrough)
2b:Control:Add2mlofwaterinasecondtesttube.Add4dropsIodine(mixtureshouldbebrownseethrough).

Heat
bothfor1minuteinthewaterbath.Recordyourobservationsforbothtesttubesinthetablebelow.
Cleanthetesttube.

Step3a&b:
Protein
:
3a:Add2mlofproteinsolutiontotesttube.Add8Biurets(mixtureshouldbeyellowandopaque)
3b:Control:Add2mlofwaterinasecondtesttube.Add8Biurets(mixtureshouldbelightblueandclear)
NOHEATrequired.
Cleanthetesttube.

7.RESULTS

NameofIndicator

ColoratStart

ColoratEnd

Changed?(Yes/No)

1aBenedictswithSugar
Monomer

clearlightblue

orange

yes

1bBenedictswithH20

Clearlightblue

Clearlightblue

no

2aIodinewithSugar
Polymer

darkbrown

black
purplewhendumped

yes

2bIodinewithH2O

clearyellow

yellow

no

3aBiuretswithprotein

purpleatbottom
yellowontop

lighteryellow

yes

3bBiuretswithH20

clear

clear

no

Whatwecanconcludewithourinformationisthattheindicatorsdetectnothinginthewaterbutdetectsomething
withthesolutions.Thepatternissupportedbyshowingindicatorswithwaterdidn'tchangecolorandindicators
withbiomoleculeschangedcolors.

8.CONCLUSION

Ourhypothesiswas,ifweputindicatorsinsyrup,cornstarch,oraneggsolutionsthenitwillchangecolorbecause
theindicatorslookforbiologicalmolecules.Somepossibleerrorsincludeputtingtoomuchofanindicatorina
tube,andmaybeconfusingoneindicatorwithanother.Ourresultsareconclusivebecausewearesurethatweput
therightamountdropsinthetubeandwemadesuretoheateachtubeforexactly1minute

Weinferredthatourpatternexistsbecauseindicatorslookforbiologicalmolecules,whichwaterdoesnothave.
Ourresultsconnecttomedicalsciencebecausemaybethereisawayforscientisttouseindicatorstolookforany
diseasesthatarenotpossibletoindicaterightaway.Asaresultofourresearchwewerewondering:howare
indicatorsabletofindbiomolecules?

9.CITATIONS:

SimonEric,DickeyJaneandReeceJane.EssentialBiologywithPhysiology(4thedition).Glenview,IL
2013