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Initial Color
Light Brown
Clear
Clear
Final Color
Green
Yellow
Red
Clear
Cloudy White
Blue
Green
N
Y
Initial Color
Light Brown
Light Brown
Cloudy White
Clear
Cloudy White
Final Color
Black
Yellow
Purple
Light Brown
Purple
Starch Present?
Y
N
Y
N
Y
Initial Color
Clear, slightly milky
Light Yellow
Clear
Clear
Cloudy White
Questions to answer/submit:
Final Color
Purple
Purple
Light Blue
Light Blue
White
Protein Present?
Y
Y
N
N
N
1. For each type of molecule listed below, give on example of one of its functions in living
organisms (3pts).
a. Simple sugars (monosaccharide or disaccharide): They usually act as short term
energy stores
b. Starch: It is used for long term energy storage
c. Protein: They act as defense, metabolism, support, as well as transport in cells
2. Which of the three types of molecules that you tested for does the unknown solution
contain? How do you know? (2pts, answer both parts of this question)
Simple sugars because it changed to green meaning the presence of a reducing sugar and
starch because it changed to purple meaning starch is present.
3. What can you conclude about the molecular make-up of potatoes and onions based on the
tests you performed? Why might these foods contain these substances? (2pts, answer both
parts of this question)
Potatoes and Onions both contain sugars. This is because they both are carbohydrates.
4. What results would you expect if you tested ribose, a monosaccharide, with Benedicts
solution? What results would you expect if you tested ribose with IKI? (2pts, answer both
parts of this question)
If ribose a monosaccharide were tested in Benedicts solution I think it would result in a
dark brown color, they both contain carbohydrates, so glucose will be present. All
monosaccharides are reducing sugars.
5. Imagine I took a starch solution and I performed a reaction where hydrolysis occurred.
When doing this test I first tested my solution and it was positive for starch and negative for
reducing sugars such as glucose. How might my test results change after hydrolysis is
complete? (hint: you need to know that starch is a large polymer and you need to know
what monosaccharide makes up the starch polymer!) (2pts)
Starch is a polysaccharide consisting of longer chains of glucose. After the hydrolysis of starch
the longer chains will be broken down. The monosaccharides that will result are glucose.
6. The molecule pictured below produced a blue color when tested with Benedicts reagent, a
yellow color when tested with IKI, and a violet/purple color when tested with Biuret reagent.
Based on the structure shown below and these chemical results, what kind of biomolecule is
this? (1 pt)
Protein