Biological Molecules Lab Report

There are four biological marcomolecules essential to the function of a cell: lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. Proteins are made up of amino acids that have a carbon in the center of the structure with four chemical groups attached to the sides. Traditionally protein is understood to assist in the development of muscle in athletic people, but it actually functions as structural support, cell adhesion, transport for molecules, and cellular communication. Through dehydration synthesis, the release of a water molecule from the joining of two amino acid groups, a peptide bond forms. For the experiment performed in lab, amino acids and peptide bonds found in protein were investigated in different food substances, it was assumed that liquid foods with a higher viscosity would contain proteins.
First two pieces of filter paper were acquired, folded into eigths and then had one drop of each solution placed in each section. Each drop was then circled with a pencil and allowed to dry thoroughly before the addition of ninhydrin to filter paper #1 and ninhydrin- collidine to filter paper #2. Both filter papers were lightly dried with a hair dryer and noted for their colors, purple meant that there was a free amino group and yellow signified an amino group bound in a ring like structure. The exact same process was repeated for the four unknowns, the results were then compared to the results of the eight