CHEMICAL TESTS FOR ORGANIC COMPOUNDS:
Organic compounds are molecules containing carbon. The principal groups of biologically important organic compounds are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. In this laboratory, we examine carbohydrates and proteins.
Tests for Organic Compounds
The subunits that comprise DNA are called nucleotides. A nucleotide contains the following three parts:
- a five-carbon sugar molecule called deoxyribose
- a phosphate group
- a nitrogenous (nitrogen-containing) base
The nitrogenous base within a nucleotide may be one of the four possible kinds:
DNA molecules are comprised of combinations of these base pairs.
For another view of a DNA molecule, follow this link: DNA
This link will take you to a slide show on the process of gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis is the movement of a charged molecule in an electrical field. Gel electrophoresis separates molecules of different lengths. DNA isolated from viruses, bacteria and other organisms may be analyzed for purity, molecular size, and configuration (e.g. linear, circular) by the technique of agarose gel electrophoresis.