The Alcohol Cooked Egg, Essay Example

Abstract

The experiment explored the process of denaturizing the proteins that are contained in an egg. Denaturation is a procedure in which the nucleic acids or the proteins are dissociated and lose their quality of being quaternary structured. The secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure can be found in the eggs when they are in their uncooked state. Denaturing of the egg can occur by the application of heat radiation, organic solvents, inorganic salts, acids and caustic materials. In the event that the nucleic acids and the proteins in a cell become denatured, the cells that compose the substance die and rupture. When proteins are denatured, they may demonstrate a number of changes. These changes may be include that they become aggregated. The laboratory experiment will demonstrate the process of denaturing an egg by immersion in isopropyl alcohol. The works of Crazy Russian Hacker (2013) and Tanford (1968) were accessed in the research.

Introduction

In cooking food, there are certain proteins that are within it that become denatured. The process of denaturing causes the eggs to become hardened and meats to become stiff.

The conventional paradigm of denaturing proteins is derived from the egg albumins. The albumins in the eggs are translucent and viscous. The application of heat energy to the albumins that are thermally unstable causes them to acquire an opaque characteristic which causes an aggregation of the albumin into a solidified mass. Eggs experience a similar transformation when they are exposes to a denaturalizing agent. The placing of the egg albumins into a container of denaturalizing solution will cause the egg albumins to become solidified and opaque (Tanford 135).

Polymers that are composed of amino acid are known as proteins. Ribosomes create the protein by means of decoding the ribonucleic acid and causing the product to become formed as a consequence of the genetic deciphering process which is designated as translation. The newly conceived proteins becomes modified subsequent to the translational process while aggregating additional atoms and molecules. As a result of the aggregation of the extra atoms and molecules, the protein experiences a folding process. As a protein undergoes the denaturing processes, there is an alteration of the molecular structures of the proteins. The peptide bonds are unchanged. Considering that the molecular structure of the protein is a primary determinant of its function, the protein loses its capacity of functioning once it becomes denatured (Tanford 131).

Objective

The objective of this experiment is to denaturalize an egg by means of immersing the egg in isopropyl alcohol. The reaction will be compared to immersing the egg in water. The results will be compared.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that the eggs will acquire the semblance of being cooked by means of the application of the denaturing process.

Experimental Procedure

Materials

1. Water
2. Isopropyl alcohol
3. Two frying pans
4. Two raw eggs.

Methods

The frying pans were extracted and placed on a table next to each other. One of the frying pans was satiated with water. This served as the control for the experiment. The other frying pans was satiated with isopropyl alcohol. A raw egg was cracked into the frying pans which held water. Another egg was cracked and immersed in the frying pan which was satiated with isopropyl alcohol. The two eggs were observed over the time intervals of ten minutes, half and hour and twenty four hours in order to observe and document changes. The egg which had been cracked and placed into the frying pan that was satiated with water was observed for any changes during the time intervals of ten minutes, half an hour and twenty four hours.

Results

Discussion

The egg which was placed in the water demonstrated no change over the time intervals of ten minutes, half an hour and twenty four hours. The egg that was placed in the isopropyl alcohol demonstrated changes after ten minutes, half an hour and twenty four hours. The distinction is that the egg that was placed in the isopropyl alcohol underwent the process of denaturing. The denaturing caused the egg to appear to be cooking due to the transformation in its molecular structure.

The hypothesis of the experiment was proven to be valid. The effect that alcohol has on organisms is to elicit cellular death. When the cells of the human body are exposed to alcohol, they experience cellular damage and death. Alcohol has been demonstrated to have serious effects on developing fetuses.  The egg that was denatured by means of immersion in isopropyl alcohol would not be safe for human consumption due to the bacteria that have been produced on the egg. This quality causes the isopropyl cooked eggs not to be safe for human consumption.

Conclusion

The objective of the experiment was to prove that the egg would be transformed with regards to its molecular organization by means of denaturing. The control egg was placed in water and experienced no changes. The denaturing process occurred as a result of the cell damage and cell mortality elicited by the isopropyl alcohol. The alternative hypothesis of the experiment was proven to be valid with the transformation of the physical state of the egg from liquid to solid by means of the immersion in the isopropyl alcohol.

Works Cited

Crazy Russian Hacker. “Cook an egg without Fire- Science experiment.” You Tube, 25 September 2013. Web. 5 March 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdG-ruxa9eM

Tanford, Charles. “Protein denaturation.” Advan. Prot. Chem, 23 (1968): 121- 282.