Not All Sugar is Sweet! Sweetness Lab

In this lab we asked the question: how does the structure of a carbohydrate affect its taste (sweetness)? We found that the monosaccharides (1 ring) were the sweetest, the disaccharides (2 rings) were a little less sweet, and the polysaccharides (3+ rings) were the most bland tasting. On a sweetness scale of 0-200, 200 being the sweetest, we found that glucose and fructose, which are both monosaccharides, got the highest rankings of 120 and 170. The disaccharides were a bit less sweet, and the polysaccharides got a rating of 10. According to the lecture notes, the less rings that a sugar has, the sweeter it is. This data supports our claim because the sugars with one ring were the sweetest, and the more rings the sugar had, the more bland the taste.

While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to contamination between samples. As the petri dishes were shared between classes, there easily could've been minor spills or mishaps. The spoon may have also collected other sugar and contaminated certain samples, affecting the sweetness of the sample. Another error could've been not waiting enough time to 'reset' our taste before trying the next sample. Due to these errors, in future experiments I would recommend wiping away the spoon each time between samples, and waiting and significant amount of time between tasting each sample, or drinking water.

This lab was done to demonstrate the varying tastes between different carbohydrates of different structures, and how these sugars are used by humans. From this lab, I learned how we use many of these sugars commercially and in our bodies for different purposes. I also learned that the taste of different carbs can vary immensely based on the number of rings it is made up of. This helps me understand the concept of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides, as well as their uses, and what they're made of. Based on my experience from this lab, when I taste food, based on the sweetness, I can infer what kind of sugar is in it. I also will now look out for labels of fructose being in foods, and try to avoid it as much as possible.

The more rings a carbohydrate has might be used more for energy storage rather than immediate use in a cell. All testers did not give the same ratings. We might have gotten slightly different samples unintentionally. We might also have a different perception of what is sweet and what isn't. We also might not have waited long enough between samples and tried them in a different order. People may also have a different amount of taste buds in their tongues that perceive sweetness and therefore rank it differently.