Biology- It Grows On You: September 2014

Monday, September 29, 2014

Carbohydrate Identification

Questions:

The goal of this activity was to determine how to differentiate the types of saccharides based on how they reacted in iodine and Benedict's solutions.

Procedure:

Mono, Di, and Poly saccharides were tested for reactions in iodine and Benidict's solutions. Several sugar samples were then tested for reactions in the same solutions. The type of saccharide was determined based on the samples' reactions when mixed with the two solutions compared to the reactions of the pure saccharides when mixed with the solutions. If there was a reaction between the saccharide and the iodine, the reaction occurred immediately. The Benedict's solution needed to be heated with the saccharide before a reaction could occur.

Claims:

Based off of the evidence produced during the procedure, it can be determined that if a saccharide reacts to the Benidict's solution and not the iodine solution, it can be positively identified as a monosaccharide. If a saccharide reacts to the iodine solution and not the Benedict's solution, it can be positively identified as a polysaccharide. If a saccharide does not react to either solution, it can be positively identified as a disaccharide. Each type of saccharide could be identified based off of their reactions in the two solutions.

Evidence:

The claims of this experiment can be proven with the evidence gained throughout the procedure. The tables below display the evidence gathered from the experiment. (+) indicates a reaction while (-) indicates no visible change.

Sample Benedict's Iodine
Monosaccharide + -
Disaccharide - -
Polysaccaride - +

Sample Benedict's Iodine
Powerade + -
Corn Starch - +
Niagara Spray Starch - +
Kix Cereal - +
Galactose + -

Research:

When compared to other groups' findings, nutrition facts, information gathered in class, and web sources, it is clear that similar conclusions were, or could be drawn from this experiment.

Reflection:

Through this experiment, ideas have remained consistent throughout the discovery of new findings. Though new questions were rasied throughout the scientific process, each could be traced back to the original hypothesis that the saccharides could be successfully differentiated based on the chemical reactions visualized when mixed with each solution. Improvement in the experiment could include the testing of known poly, di, and mono saccharides to prove their saccharide content.

Lab Analysis Questions:

Further explanations on this lab topic can be found at this address:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17lgAoM3J1tLVKSvwo0o1hbDMoRaB42a8uaEJlMqZit4/edit

Pictures from the Experiment:

These pictures were taken directly from the experiment without other sources.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Macromolecules and Carbohydrates

This post will discuss some of the macromoleculs that build your body, and carbohydrates in particular. To learn about these topics, I researched several sites, investigating what roles they played in the functions of the human body.

What is a macromolecule?
Small organic molecules, or monomers, join together to form much larger molecules known as macromolecules. Below is an example of an aluminum trichloride macromolecule.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Aluminium-trichloride-crystal-3D-balls.png

What is a monomer?

Monomers are small organic molecules that join together. Below is an example of an aluminum trichloride monomer.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Aluminium-trichloride-monomer-3D-vdW.png

What is a polymer?

Polymers are large molecules composed of monomers. Below is an example of an aluminum trichloride polymer.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Aluminium-trichloride-dimer-3D-balls.png/200px-Aluminium-trichloride-dimer-3D-balls.png

What are the four main types of macromolecules?

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids

What are the types of reactions that macromolecules are shown to undergo?

Macromolecules are shown to undergo dehydration and hydrolysis

How are monomers joined together?

Monomers are joined together when water is removed from molecules through a dehydration reaction.

How are polymers broken down?

Polymers are broken down when water is added to molecules through hydrolysis.

Why is sugar stored as glycogen in the human body?

The liver tries to maintain blood sugar levels by absorbing and releasing sugar, or storing it as glycogen. The liver can produce sugar from amino acids if ingested foods do not supply enough sugar.

Why are plant foods essential to animal life?

The bulk of human diets are made up of plant foods, and are essential to animal life.

How is starch digested by animals?

Animals digest starches by releasing energy as the energy-supplying molecules are dismantled by oxidation.

What is “fiber” and why is it important in your diet?

Fiber can not be digested or absorbed. It is important because it causes “bulk” which aids stool and harmful carcinogens in passing through the digestive system.

What causes you to pass gas (fart)?

Passing gas, or “farting” is caused due to volatile substances produced by the putrefaction of undigested protein.

What are some disadvantages of a low-carb diet?

Low carb diets often cause people to avoid some of the most beneficial foods in a diet, such as fruits, vegetables, and fibers.These foods are essential for a proper diet, and avoiding them can cause illness. Carbohydrates in proper doses are beneficial, removing them can cause the opposite effect than what is trying to be gained.

What role do sugars play in cavity formation in your teeth?

Depending on the amount of sugar consumed and the balance of harmful bacteria in your mouth, consumption of sugar can cause “fuel boosts” for acid forming bacteria. The acid that forms then begins to break down your teeth, and causes cavities.

The resources used for this activity are listed below:

http://www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/N100H/macromol.html

http://www.nutramed.com/nutrition/carbohydrates.htm

http://www.nutramed.com/nutrition/lowcarbo_madness.htm

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/articles/article/christafavotcolumn1.htm/

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

How to Balance Your Acid

This post focuses on how to maintain a healthy amount of acid in your body, or neutralize an unbalanced amount of it. A group of people, including myself, tested different types of antacids to see which would be the most effective to balance a high level of stomach acid. To carry out this investigation, we organized the types of antacids into two separate categories: generic vs. name-brand. An example of a pH scale is shown below.

http://www.eco-nomics.info/images2/ph_scale.jpg

As you can see from the information displayed on the scale above, the higher the pH, the stronger the alkalinity, or base. The lower the pH, the stronger the acidity, or acid. When acids and bases of the same level are mixed, they become neutral, like water.

We hypothesized that if a name brand like TUMS was as well-known and thought to be as highly effective as it was, it would preform better than a generic brand such as Equate, or another name-brand: Rolaid.

To begin the procedural part of the experiment, we poured 25mL of distilled white vinegar into four separate beakers. In this study, the vinegar represented stomach acid. We tested the pH of the vinegar as a base number, or the number to go off of while performing the experiment. We then ground up the different types of antacids using a pestle and mortar to mimic the "chewing" motion that would normally occur while being ingested.

The varied antacids were then mixed with the vinegar, each in their own separate beakers.

We tested the pH of each mixture and recorded the results.

Through the process of interpreting data, we deduced that the name brand TUMS worked most effectively on neutralizing an acid. This was because it tested a higher pH, proving the end result was more basic than the end results of the other antacid brands.

The photos and result graph were taken and made by the people performing the experiment. The pH scale was found from an online source. (source URL is located under the pH scale)

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Water Your Properties?

Water has some really interesting properties that cause it to act much differently than other substances. These properties can include the way water expands as it freezes, coheres to itself, and adheres to other objects. To test the different properties of water, several labs were conducted.

For the first lab, a group of people, including myself, tested how many drops of water would fit on the surface of a penny. To control the size of the drops, we used a plastic water dropper. We then repeated the experiment using alcohol instead of water. The lab results are displayed below.

Name Water Alcohol

Ana 102 38

Skylar 101 48

Kalee 27 58

During the experiment, the water formed one drop on the penny. We discovered that this occurred due to surface tension, cohesion, and adhesion. As the water drops were placed on the penny, the drops stuck together and to the surface of the penny. The surface tension was able to keep the droplet together and not spill off the side of the penny.

http://www.factfixx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/surface-tension-water-penny.jpg

What made the water cohere so well? The water was able to cohere due to the positive and negative charges found in H2O molecules. Has anyone ever told you that opposites attract? The positive and negative charges found in H2O attract, causing the molecules to form hydrogen bonds and create a "clump". A visual example is shown below.

http://healingearth.sites.luc.edu/sites/default/files/styles/chapter_photo/public/images/3D_WaterHbnds_wiki.jpg?itok=Sq8fyeJI

When we repeated this experiment with alcohol, we found that it did not cohere or adhere as well as water did. This was because alcohol molecules do not have the type of makeup that would allow them to form bonds as easily as water.

http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/principles-of-general-chemistry-v1.0/section_08/46eb65b7be278a0cd7b95b9e59b49ebb.jpg

As you can see, alcohol molecules do not "pair up" as well as water. The bonds they form are much weaker than water, causing them to break easily and evaporate.

Because water coheres so well, it is able to travel through live organisms. For example, human bodies contain 60% water. We need water in order to regulate body temperature, distribute nutrients, keep mucus membranes moist, and flush waste from our system. So how does water reach every part of the human body to be able to accomplish these tasks? This occurs because of coherence and adherence. When you drink water, it enters and is absorbed into your system. It adheres to the walls of your body, while cohering to the other water molecules in your system. This forms a tight, "locked" system. The water stays together, then evaporates as you perspire. This water then needs to be replenished. Though humans can survive for weeks without food, they can only survive a few days without water.

The second lab we did worked with how water adheres to different surfaces. For this lab, we placed one large drop of water on a square section of waxed paper. We then tried to separate the drop of water using a wood toothpick.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vlQtgQ7eGV1hPn3WMBtXlk85HVuTUfpW2MTKvTce8H0hS_UozTsxuRkPbqRIBuH56LNgq3YTyKEd8K83uJ16ajqoVx_VxXMb9OiG0hyphenhyphenHEOM6Bi5XdeoXkqX-bGO-qnK8iROOgGOu1qE/s1600/photo.JPG

We found that the water did not adhere well to the waxed paper and simply moved when touched by the toothpick. This proved that the cohesion of water was stronger than its adherence to the waxed paper and toothpick.

For the last experiment, we tried to transport water from one glass beaker to another using only a piece of string.

http://images.kiwicrate.com/live/main/tstep/iea9268cb43f5/abc2e714f3e7.jpg

When the water traveled along the string, it adhered well to it, using it as a path to the other beaker. The surface tension of the water was strong enough to where the water did not spill. The water also cohered to its other molecules, which allowed it to flow evenly and naturally.

Through all of these labs, we were able to test the amazing properties of water and how these properties play into everyday life. We discovered how water coheres ad adheres, how surface tension allows it to travel without "breaking" and how hydrogen bonds connect everything together.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

This Is An Intervention!

An interventional study (also referred to as a clinical trial) is an experiment that involves the researching of human volunteers, focusing on one common medical condition shared between the participants, to gain medical knowledge. These types of studies must always include participant consent that can be proven legally. By providing consent, participants state that they are willing to subject themselves to testing and agree to any ethical standing.

As an example of an interventional study, I will be researching and reviewing a study sponsored by University Hospital, Grenoble. This study focuses on assessing an innovative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of pain among deaf people. French literature shows that 80% of deaf people are illiterate, and only 1/3 of the words spoken through lip-reading are recognized. Pictorial VAS pain scales include the elements that can be identified and understood by the deaf community. These elements can include pictures or colors that can indicate the different levels of pain.

The researchers searched for participants at several hospitals, asking for volunteers to meet at the designated study locations. Before the study began, the researchers advised the volunteer participants to consult their doctor, family, and friends before making the decision to participate. During the study, the participants were asked to represent their level of pain on the visual analog scale. Half of the participants were given a pictorial VAS while the other participants were given a regular VAS to portray their level of pain. Both groups were then asked to sign their level of pain in French Sign Language. The signings were then compared to what the patient indicated on the chart and checked for accuracy in meaning. The researchers of the study hypothesized that pictorial VAS was more suited to the deaf than usual VAS. The study tested 289 participants over the course of two years.

Below are examples of a pictorial VAS and a usual VAS.

Pictorial