Egg Macromolecules Lab

In this lab, we asked the question: Can macromolecules be identified in an egg cell? We found that indeed there was a testable way to determine whether or not the specified macromolecules were present in that part of the egg cell. We found that there was a pretty large amount of proteins in the egg white, as the sodium hydroxide and copper sulfate turned a dark purple, signaling a large presence of protein in that area. This is most likely true because according to the nutrition facts, 85% of calories in an egg white come from proteins. This data supports our claim because it shows that there is a lot of protein in an egg white and indeed that this hypothesis was testable.

Part of our data contradicts the expected results because in our tests for monosaccharides and polysaccharides, there was little presence of those. This is most likely because in a rush to finish the lab, we didn't wait long enough for the Benedict's solution or the iodine to sink in and change color. Also, while this part of our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to human perception of color. Especially for the protein tests, the colors looked very similar, so we could only approximate numbers that the whole group agreed which could have skewed the actual results. I recommend that next time, we get more time for the lab, so the window of opportunity for the solutions to change color is larger. Also, I recommend that next time, we should have more bottles of the solutions so that there aren't just a bunch of people waiting in line to add the solution into their test tubes.

This lab was done to demonstrate the presence of macromolecules in cells, like an egg cell for example. Most of what we have learned so far about macromolecules seems pretty abstract, but now that we know more about the practical uses and being able to find these macromolecules in a real life object, it enhances the learning process. From this lab, I learned more about the basic structure of a cell and what macromolecules may appear in these parts of the cell. It helps me better understand the concept of the different functions that different organelles have within cells. Based on my experience from the lab, maybe for a future experiment, we could examine a plant cell and see the differences between the two different types of cells and the macromolecules present in them. Also, with this new information, I now know better how to "dissect" an egg, which could possibly help with later dissections, such as the pig dissection.