Pineapple Enzyme and Jell-O Lab
Jell-O is gelatin that is actually made out of animal hides,
bones, and inedible connecting tissue. All gelatin is made out of
discarded animal bones and skins. All these parts are made of
proteins. In fact, the extracted gelatin is a protein. So, why do you think gelatin gets
thick and jelly-like when you cook it?
Gelatin can be extracted from any kind of animal, but cows are most common. If
you have made chicken soup from scratch, it may get a little bit jelly-like in the fridge
after a while that's because boiling the chicken in water extracts the gelatin from the
carcass (bones & cartilage). Commercial gelatin making starts by grinding up bones and
soaking them in solutions. Then it is boiled for hours to extract the gelatin. Finally, the
gelatin layer is skimmed off the boiling pot, and dried into a powder. With added sugar,
flavorings, and artificial color, it's ready to become a Jell-O!
Pineapple is a tropical fruit and it contains an enzyme that breaks down & digest
proteins. This enzyme is called bromelain. This enzyme is found in meat-tenderizing
products!
Materials:
Jell-O cubes, shallow dishes, fresh pineapple juice, canned pineapple juice
Procedure:
1. Place 2 Jell-O cubes in one dish and in another dish, place 2 more Jell-O cubes. Using
masking tape, label the first dish “Fresh” and the second dish “Canned”.
2. Pour fresh pineapple juice over the cubes in the “Fresh” dish and canned pineapple
juice over the cubes in the “Canned” dish.
3. Record observations (t=0, t = 15, and t = 30) in table.
Question:
What will happen to the Jell-O cubes when fresh and canned pineapple juice
are added to them?
Hypothesis: (answer question)
Observations:
Fresh Pineapple Juice
Canned Pineapple Juice
t = 0 minutes
t = 0 minutes
t = 15 minutes
t = 15 minutes
t = 30 minutes
t = 30 minutes
Discussion:
1. Compare the results of fresh/canned pineapple juices on the Jell-O cubes.
2. What is the enzyme and the substrate in the experiment?
3. Why were the results of the fresh pineapple juice different than the results of
canned pineapple juice? Be specific!
4. Why is it NOT a good idea to add frozen pineapple to Jell-O desserts?
5. What is meat tenderizer and what does it do?
6. Give a conclusion about the experiment, referring back to your hypothesis.
CODE
A1
B2
EXPECTATION
Demonstrate scientific investigation skills
Investigate the structures and functions of cells, and the
factors that influence cellular activity
LEVEL
MARK