BIURET REACTIONS Meaning and
Definition
-
Biuret reaction is a chemical test used to determine the presence of proteins or peptides in a sample. It is based on the biuret molecule, which is formed when the peptide bond in proteins reacts with copper sulfate in an alkaline solution.
In this reaction, proteins or peptides are first denatured by heating them with a strong alkaline solution, such as sodium hydroxide. This denaturation breaks the tertiary structure of proteins, exposing the peptide bonds. Then, a few drops of copper sulfate solution are added to the sample, resulting in the formation of a blue-violet color complex with the biuret molecule if proteins or peptides are present.
The biuret reaction is specific to proteins and peptides due to the presence of peptide bonds, which are absent in other types of biomolecules like carbohydrates or lipids. Therefore, it is commonly used to qualitatively assess the presence of proteins in biological samples. However, it does not provide quantitative information on the concentration of proteins in the sample.
The intensity of the color formed in the biuret reaction corresponds to the amount of protein or peptide present in the sample. The reaction is commonly used in biochemical and clinical laboratories as a simple and quick method for protein detection or as a preliminary test before further characterization of proteins using more specific techniques like gel electrophoresis or mass spectrometry.
Common Misspellings for BIURET REACTIONS
- viuret reactions
- niuret reactions
- hiuret reactions
- giuret reactions
- buuret reactions
- bjuret reactions
- bkuret reactions
- bouret reactions
- b9uret reactions
- b8uret reactions
- biyret reactions
- bihret reactions
- bijret reactions
- biiret reactions
- bi8ret reactions
- bi7ret reactions
- biueet reactions
- biudet reactions
- biufet reactions
- biutet reactions
Etymology of BIURET REACTIONS
The word "Biuret" is derived from the compound biuret, which itself originated from the German word "biuret", coined by Friedrich Wöhler in 1838. Wöhler first prepared biuret by heating urea, a compound found in urine, hence the prefix "ur-" which means urine. Biuret was initially named "Obernitril", but Wöhler changed it to "biuret" to reflect its composition as a condensation product of two molecules of urea.
The term "Biuret Reactions" refers to a group of chemical tests used to detect the presence of peptide bonds in proteins and other compounds. These tests are named after the characteristic reaction of biuret with copper ions in an alkaline medium, forming a purple complex.
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
