Egg Macromolecules Analysis

     In this lab, we asked the question: Can macromolecules be identified in an egg cell? We found that it was indeed true that macromolecules could be found in the different parts of an egg. In the egg membrane, we found that it contained lipids because the Sudan 3, when mixed with the egg membrane, turned from a red color into an bright orange color, and on a scale from 1-10 we rated it a "10" for the color change. In a cell, the membrane contains lipids because it made out of phosophoipids, a type of lipid, which help the cell defend from outside substances, contain organelles, and lets molecules in and out. Then, in the egg white, we found that there were proteins contained in it. Testing for proteins, we used biuret to test for the presence of proteins, and once the biuret was mixed with the egg white it turned from blue to a light purple color. We rated it a "7" in a scale from 1-10 for the color change. This is because the cytoplasm in a cell, represented by the egg white, contains proteins and enzymes that break down amino acids in the cell. Finally, we found that there were also lipids in the egg yolk, which we used Sudan 3 for the test. In the solution, the egg yolk turned red to a bright orange, indicating lipids, and on a scale from 1-10 we gave it an "8" for the quantitative amount of the macromolecules. The egg white, or the nucleus of the cell, contains lipids because of the membrane which functions as a barrier, container, and lets things in and out of the nucleus, such as RNA.
     One possible error in lab, was the fact that the the amount of the solution could have been altered when we were putting it in. For example, when dropping in 3 to 5 drops of Sudan 3 someone could have accidentally put 6 to 8 drops, therefore altering the color of the solution and the results of the experiment. This problem could be easily fixed be using graduated cylinders to measure the exact amount of the solution to put in. Furthermore, the color of the solution could have been interpreted differently, such as, for the biuret solution used for proteins, there could have been a different interpretation for the purple color, where one person thinks light purple is 7 o a scale from 1 to 10 but another thinks it is a 9. This problem could be fixed by one person interpreting the color, such as the teacher, for everyone so that the results will be more accurate.
    The purpose of this lab was to find the macromolecules that are found in the different part of the cell. In class we learned that there are lipids in the membranes of organelles, protein in the cytoplasm, and carbohydrates in the mitochondria. The macromolecules can be found everywhere in the cell and are important to the function of the cell and the body, and without macromolecules life could not form. These same macromolecules that can be found in a tiny cell, can be found in the different parts of the cell. If one macromolecule was not existent then the cell could not function, and life could not thrive.