Egg Macromolecules Lab

Egg Macromolecules Lab

In this lab we asked the question "Can macromolecules be identified in an egg cell?" We found out that of the four macromolecules,  proteins were in all of the egg parts, the egg yolk, the egg membrane, and the egg white. The egg membrane would have the protein as the most present macromolecule, with quantitative data of 3 out of 10. We know the egg membrane contains protein because the membrane itself changed from its original color to purple. This was a reaction with the sodium hydroxide. The evidence supports our reasoning because the egg is a cell. The cell membrane includes proteins. We also know the evidence supports our reasoning because the membrane turned purple. We know the egg white contains protein because it also turned purple when mixed with the sodium hydroxide. We also rated this one at a 3 out of 10 on the amount of protein it contained.We know there are proteins in the egg white because the egg white is the cytoplasm of the egg. The enzymes in the egg are in the cytoplasm, which would have lead to the white turning purple. The evidence supports our reasoning because the solution turned from white to purple when mixed with sodium hydroxide. Lastly, the egg yolk also turned purple with the sodium hydroxide. It had the quantitative result of 8 out of 10. This evidence supports our reasoning because the yolk turned purple, signaling that there are proteins in the yolk, and also because of the fact that the egg yolk is where the chicken is made. The yolk contains all the structural proteins. This data supports our claim because out of all the macromolecules, protein was the most present in all three parts of the cell.

While our hypothesis was supported by our date, there could have been errors due to measurement errors, We may have added too much or too little of the sodium hydroxide or other mixing liquid. This may have caused the part of the egg we were testing to change into another shade of the positive color. If we added too little, then it may have been to light for us to see the real color change. If we added too much, then the color may have been too dark for us to tell, or for us to see it as a different color.  Another error could have been cross contamination. Our egg for this experiment burst as we were pouring it into the cup. this could have caused the membrane of the egg yolk to break and to mix with the other parts of the egg. Another possibility is that the egg membrane was covered in the egg white, which could have changed the results because different amounts of macromolecules are found in different parts of the cell. Due to the errors, in future experiments we could boil the egg instead of put it in vinegar. This would lead to an easier separation of the membrane from the egg white, and also would lead to easier testing of each egg component. All three components could be easily picked up by forceps, and tested. This would decrease risk of cross contamination and be more hygienic. To solve the first error of color observation, we could look at our solutions under a microscope to observe the color change. This will decrease the risk of misinterpreting the color, and will specify whether or not the component of the egg has the macromolecule.

We did this lab because the egg represented a cell in the body. We did this lab to show the presence of all four macromolecules. We also demonstrated which macromolecules were most present. From this lab I learned about the components of the cell and how to identify macromolecules in food and different cells. Based on my experience from this lab, I can now identify macromolecules in foods, and also observe possible things that are cells, like eggs.