To determine whether a substance contains reducing sugars and/or polysaccharides (two types of carbohydrates) by using Benedict’s reagent and iodine stain.

Carbohydrates are essential to living organisms, and the principal role of carbohydrates is the production of energy. Carbohydrates are groups of sugars that contain carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen in a 1:2:1 ratio. Three main units of carbohydrates are monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.

A monsaccharide contains one sugar unit, and has three to seven carbon atoms. Monosaccharides have a hydroxyl group bonded to each carbon atom; expect one, which is bonded to an oxygen atom thus forming a carbonyl group. If the carbonyl group is at the end of the chain then is it an aldehyde; therefore, if it is located in any other position it is a ketone. Common monosaccharides are ribose, deoxyribose, glucose, fructose, and galatose.

The solutions that contain reducing sugars are the glucose/dextrose, table sugar, honey, sweet ‘n’ low, and the equal solution; therefore, the potato, cornstarch, gelatin, and egg white solutions will contain polysaccharides. The water will contain neither reducing sugars nor polysaccharides.

The two tests indicate the present of reducing sugars and polysaccharides in the solutions being tested. The color change in table 1.4 refers to the concentration of reducing sugars in the Benedict’s Reagent test and the types of polysaccharides present in the Iodine stain test. Benedict’s Reagent when added to the solutions that contain reducing sugars will change the structure of the sugar; therefore causing the color to change. For the Benedict’s Reagent test the colors are as follows: blue does not contains reducing sugars; bluish green, green, yellow, and orange red/rust test positive for reducing sugars, but at different levels of concentration. Iodine reacts with three-dimensiona

Some topics in this essay:
Benedict’s Reagent, Background Carbohydrates, Earth Hypothesis, Identifying Carbohydrates, reducing sugars, benedict’s reagent, reducing sugars polysaccharides, sugars polysaccharides, iodine stain, Lab Report, oxygen atom, solutions contained, solutions contain, benedict’s reagent test, potato cornstarch, contain reducing, reagent test, contain reducing sugars, solution changed color, sweet ‘n’ low,