BCH314 TUTORIAL #1

16th April 2018

Question 1
Five measurements of the fasting serum glucose concentration were made on the same sample taken from a diabetic
patient. The values obtained were 2.3, 2.5, 2.2, 2.6 and 2.5 mM. Calculate the precision of the data set expressed
either as one standard deviation of the mean or as the coefficient of variation of the mean.

Question 2
Calculate the confidence intervals at the 50%, 95% and 99% confidence levels of the fasting serum glucose
concentrations given in the previous question above (given that t 50% = 0.741; t95% = 2.776 & t99% = 4.604)

Question 3
A standard solution of glucose is known to be 5.05 mM. Samples of it were analysed by the glucose oxidase method
that was being used in the laboratory for the first time. A calibration curve obtained using least mean square linear
regression was used to calculate the concentration of glucose in the test sample.
The following experimental values were obtained: 5.12, 4.96, 5.21, 5.18 and 5.26 mM. Does the experimental data set
for the glucose solution agree with the known value within experimental error at a 95% confidence level?

Question 4
What types of centrifuges are available and what are they used for?

Question 5
What is the applied centrifugal field at a point equivalent to 5 cm from the centre of rotation and an angular velocity
of 3000 rad.s-1?

Question 6
For the pelleting of the microsomal fraction from a liver homogenate, an ultracentrifuge is operated at a speed of 40
000 r.p.m. Calculate the angular velocity, v, in radians per second.

Question 7
A fixed-angle rotor exhibits a minimum radius, rmin, at the top of the centrifuge tube of 3.5 cm, and a maximum radius,
rmax, at the bottom of the tube of 7.0 cm. If the rotor is operated at a speed of 20 000 r.p.m., what is the relative
centrifugal field, RCF, at the top and bottom of the centrifuge tube?

Question 8
How would you prepare a 1 M solution of NaOH, given that the molar weight of NaOH is 40 g.mol -1?

Question 9
You need to prepare 1 dm-3 of a 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 6.9. Describe how you would prepare the buffer using
NaH2PO4.2H20 (molecular mass 156.006 g/mol) and Na2HPO4 anhydrous (molecular mass 141.96 g/mol) and given
that the pKa values of phosphoric acid are 2.16, 7.21 and 12.32.

Question 10
You need to determine the concentration of an unknown protein solution using the Biuret test. How would you
generate a standard curve for this assay using bovine serum albumin as the protein standard?