The organic compounds that are most common in foods that come from plants are carbohydrates. However, the organic compounds that are most common in animal meat are proteins. The original colors of the food substances did affect our test results. For example, if the substance was yellow, such as apple juice, and we were trying to test for glucose, we could not tell if the substance had changed colors or if it was just yellow because it was apple juice. Distilled water did not contain any of the organic compounds we tested because the purpose of using it was to provide a control group. If distilled water did, in fact, test positive for an organic compound, we could conclude two things.
It was either contaminated or it was not actually distilled. The observations in this investigation could help us decide whether or not a substance is safe for a diabetic to eat by testing it. If it tests positive for glucose or starch, it is a carbohydrate and should be avoided. Biuret solution changes color when it reacts with a protein. In your skin, there are a lot of proteins, therefore when Biuret solution comes in contact with skin it turns a brownish-purple color.
Conclusion: Were your hypotheses supported or refuted? Discuss the data that caused you to decide whether your hypothesis was valid or not. What did you learn in this experiment? Were there any sources of error? All of my hypotheses were supported with the exception of my hypothesis on corn oil. I stated that “If Benedict solution is added to corn oil, then it will turn”. The data that caused me to decide that my hypothesis was not valid was the fact that when we added Benedict solution to the corn oil, it stayed blue, proving that there was no glucose present at all.
In this experiment, I learned that almost all sources of food contain at least one form of an organic substance. I also learned that when a glucose is present, Benedict solution will change from blue to yellow or orange-red, when a starch is present the iodine color will change from brownish to black, when a lipid is present the solution will become transparent when dried on a brown paper towel, and when a protein is present the Biuret solution will turn from light blue to purple. In our lab, there were no sources of error.
