Sweetness Lab

In this lab, we found that the monosaccharides are the sweetest, the disaccharides were less sweet, and the polysaccharides almost had no flavor. The monosaccharides have one ring, and are used more than the disaccharides and the polysaccharides in food. Some are primary sources of energy, some are used for food enhancement, and some are used in cellular control. The disaccharides have two rings, and are used in less sweet foods. Some are used in plants for photosynthesis, some is present in germinating grain, and some are the main source of carbohydrates for infants. The polysaccharides have multiple rings, and are not digestible, not used in foods, or something similar to that. Some are used in staple foods.This data supports our claim because it shows that the carbohydrates that are used more in food are more sweet.

    All the testers had a similar rating of degree of sweetness for the carbohydrates. The rating could have been different for the testers due to the accuracy of their taste buds, which may have lead to incorrect rating of the sweetness of the carbohydrates.Another reason that the ratings may have been different is that their carbohydrates may have been contaminated with other carbohydrates, which could have altered their final results by making the ratings higher or lower. Also, the testers may have tasted different amounts of the carbohydrates.

    Humans taste sweetness by the taste buds on their tongues. The bumps on the tongue are called papillae, and most of them contain taste buds. Usually, taste buds get replaced, but as people age, some taste buds don't get replaced, so some people may taste differently making the testers rank the same samples differently.