BiocheminsiderWhat Is Bial’s Test? Bial’s test named after a German physician Manfred Bial, is a chemical test for detection of presence of pentoses. Bial’s test reagent contains concentrated Hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a dehydrating acid, orcinol and traces of ferric chloride as condensation reagent. A pentose if present in a given sample, will be dehydrated … Read more
What Is Seliwanoff’s Test? Seliwanoff’s test is a chemical test which differentiates between Aldose and ketose sugars. If the sugar contains a ketone group, it is a ketose whereas if it contains an aldehyde group, it is an Aldose. This test is much like Bial’s test; it relies on the principle that, when heated, ketoses … Read more
Microscope Description A microscope is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. In other words, it enlarges images of small objects. Invented by a Dutch spectacle maker in the late 16th century, light microscopes use lenses and light to magnify images. Generally a microscope … Read more
What Is Nitroprusside Test? Nitroprusside test is a biochemical test used for the detection of the free-SH groups in amino acids or the cysteine amino acid in a protein. This test uses sodium Nitroprusside reagents and ammonia solution. Nitroprusside is a complex anion consisting of an octahedral ferrous center which is surrounded by five tightly … Read more
Amines Amines may be considered as substitution products of ammonia. When one hydrogen atom of ammonia is replaced with an alkyl or aryl group,the resulting amine is called primary amine (R—NH2). When two hydrogen atoms of ammonia molecule are replaced with two alkyl or aryl groups, the resulting compound is called secondary amine. The replacement … Read more
Carboxylic Acids Carboxylic acid, any of a class of organic compounds in which a carbon (C) atom is bonded to an oxygen (O) atom by a double bond and to a hydroxyl group (―OH) by a single bond. A fourth bond links the carbon atom to a hydrogen (H) atom or to some other univalent combining group. The carboxyl (COOH) group is so-named … Read more
Aldehydes and Ketones Aldehydes and ketones have a carbonyl group (C=O) as a functional group. A ketone has two alkyl or aryl groups attached to the carbonyl carbon (RCOR’). The simplest ketone is acetone, which has two methyl groups attached to the carbonyl carbon (CH3COCH3). An aldehyde is similar to a ketone, except that instead … Read more
Phenols Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group (−C6H5) bonded to a hydroxy group (−OH). Mildly acidic, it requires careful handling because it can cause chemical burns. Phenol was first extracted from coal tar, but today is produced on a large scale (about 7 billion kg/year) from petroleum-derived feedstocks. It … Read more
Alcohols Compounds in which the hydroxyl group (—OH) is linked to aliphatic carbon chain or in the side chain of an organic compound are called alcohols. The alcohols containing one, two or three hydroxyl groups per molecule are called mono, di or trihydric alcohols respectively.Alcohols are further classified as primary (1°), secondary (2°) and tertiary … Read more