obesity
Lab: Identifying Nutrients
Student Guide
Prelab Information
Purpose
Explore the presence of nutrients in food using a laboratory experiment and deductive reasoning. Time
Approximately 45 minutes
Scenario
Your biology teacher found an unknown food sample in the classroom, and there are four suspects: students who have different foods for lunch.
Student
Food
Macromolecule Present
Zack
Tofu
Protein
Nicole
Salad dressing
Lipid
Christian
Jelly sandwich
Monosaccharides
Abigail
Pasta
Polysaccharides
For various reasons, your teacher strongly suspects Zack of leaving the food sample. In this lab, you will figure out who was guilty by determining which macromolecules are present in the mystery food sample.
Question
Which macromolecules are present in the mystery food sample?
Hypothesis
If the mystery food is tofu, then it will react with the reagent that indicates the presence of a protein because tofu is primarily protein.
Variables
Independent variable: presence of macromolecules, including monosaccharides, polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids
Dependent variable: color changes observed in tests
Safety
Always wear safety goggles and a lab coat when performing an experiment.
Keep behavior in the lab purposeful.
Use caution when working with dyes. They may stain your clothes or body.
Check glassware such as test tubes and beakers for cracks and chips prior to use.
Use the right gear, such as insulated gloves and test tube tongs, when moving test tubes into and out of the boiling water bath. When handling test samples otherwise, use thinner protective gloves of latex or other suitable material.
Report all accidents—no matter how big or small—to your teacher.
Never eat food in a science laboratory. Contamination could cause illness.
Copyright © Edgenuity Inc.
Student Guide (continued)
Lab Procedure
Step 1: Gather Materials
Mystery Food Sample
Student Guide
Prelab Information
Purpose
Explore the presence of nutrients in food using a laboratory experiment and deductive reasoning. Time
Approximately 45 minutes
Scenario
Your biology teacher found an unknown food sample in the classroom, and there are four suspects: students who have different foods for lunch.
Student
Food
Macromolecule Present
Zack
Tofu
Protein
Nicole
Salad dressing
Lipid
Christian
Jelly sandwich
Monosaccharides
Abigail
Pasta
Polysaccharides
For various reasons, your teacher strongly suspects Zack of leaving the food sample. In this lab, you will figure out who was guilty by determining which macromolecules are present in the mystery food sample.
Question
Which macromolecules are present in the mystery food sample?
Hypothesis
If the mystery food is tofu, then it will react with the reagent that indicates the presence of a protein because tofu is primarily protein.
Variables
Independent variable: presence of macromolecules, including monosaccharides, polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids
Dependent variable: color changes observed in tests
Safety
Always wear safety goggles and a lab coat when performing an experiment.
Keep behavior in the lab purposeful.
Use caution when working with dyes. They may stain your clothes or body.
Check glassware such as test tubes and beakers for cracks and chips prior to use.
Use the right gear, such as insulated gloves and test tube tongs, when moving test tubes into and out of the boiling water bath. When handling test samples otherwise, use thinner protective gloves of latex or other suitable material.
Report all accidents—no matter how big or small—to your teacher.
Never eat food in a science laboratory. Contamination could cause illness.
Copyright © Edgenuity Inc.
Student Guide (continued)
Lab Procedure
Step 1: Gather Materials
Mystery Food Sample