Objective To determine how pH affects catalase activity in potato Background Hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of several metabolic reactions in living cells. If allowed to accumulate it can cause oxidative damage. Therefore, it is constantly removed by catalase which decomposes it to water and oxygen. Catalase is found in nearly all living organisms […]
Objectives To quantify proteins in an unknown concentration of egg albumin (egg white) solution using the biuret method To separate casein protein from milk    Background In the first part of this lab, the Biuret method will be used to identify and quantify proteins in an unknown concentration of egg albumin solution. Proteins are identified […]
Objectives: To identify which carbohydrates contain reducing sugars Background: Some sugars have a free aldehyde or ketone group which makes them capable of acting as a reducing agent. We call these sugars reducing sugars. They play an important role in developing food colors and flavors during processing. Reducing sugars produce a brick-red color when heated […]
Objectives: To determine the effect of substrate on yeast fermentation rate Background: Products of carbohydrates fermentation include carbon dioxide and ethanol. The rate of fermentation will be affected by how readily yeast is able to utilize substrates for energy. In this lab, you will observe differences in fermentation rates based on the type of substrate […]
Objective: To extract DNA from strawberries        Background: All living cells contain DNA. DNA provides unique genetic characteristics of organisms, that is, how they look and how they behave. To study DNA we first have to extract it from the cell. In this lab, you will learn how to extract DNA from a plant source, […]
Climacteric fruits such as bananas require ethylene to ripen. Ethylene production is oxygen-dependent. Therefore, the removal of oxygen during storage is expected to reduce the rate of ripening. In this lab, you will test to determine how access to oxygen affects ripening rate. Materials Foil 4 green bananas (or as green as you can get […]
Eggs possess various functional properties that make them useful in various food formulations. For example, eggs act as an emulsifier, preventing oil and water from separating in products like ice-cream, mayonnaise, and cakes. In cakes, eggs help to retain moisture, add color and flavor, binds ingredients together, and create air cells that can later expand […]
In this lab, you will be making ONE cultured dairy product. Cultured products are those that are fermented by bacteria. By-products of bacteria fermentation include flavors and lactic acid. Lactic acid reduces the pH of the milk, causing denaturation of milk proteins. The procedures below describe how to make sour cream, kefir, yogurt, and creme […]
Objective: To make apple jam Background: Jams are made using the pulp of fruits while jellies are made using the juice. In this lab, you will be making apple jam. That means you will use the pulp of apples, or apples that are finely shredded or chopped. Three other key ingredients are needed. These include […]
