Download Macromolecules Webquest

Macromolecules Webquest
Name___________________________ Period_____
Part A: What is a macromolecule?
You can find the at this website: http://www.biology101.org
1. What are the four macromolecules?
2. What is a polymer?
3. List the monomers that are linked together to form each of the following macromolecules (what
are the building blocks of each macromolecule):
1. Proteins:
2. Carbohydrates:
3. Nucleic Acids:
Part B: Why do we eat?
Watch this video: Biological Molecules - You Are What You Eat: Crash Course Biology #3 on Youtube,
and answer the following questions. If you miss something in the movie, the script is written out below. If
you are unsure about some of the information, use the internet to find more info.
1. What did William Prout study? Why did he study this?
2. Why is glucose so important?
3. How is the way humans obtain and store energy different from plants?
4. What is the most common lipid?
5. Steroids are a type of what macromolecule?
6. What does it mean for a lipid to be saturated or unsaturated?
7. What are three types of proteins?
8. What are the building blocks of proteins?
9. Humans cannot produce all of the 20 amino acids necessary to produce proteins. How many
amino acids can humans NOT produce? How do we get these?
Part C: Macromolecules in 3D
Here you will browse through several 3D images of different macromolecules. Study the images to find
features that you learned about in the previous tutorials.
a. Visit the website http://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/library/life/
b. Click on the link called Sugar Molecules
○ Browse through the different 3D images of carbohydrate molecules
○ In order to view an image, always click on the small link Gif above the picture. DO NOT click
VRML or PBD.
1. Draw the glucose structure.
c. Click on the link called Lipids
○ Browse through the different 3D images of lipid molecules
○ In order to view an image, always click on the small link Gif above the picture AND the small
link Info above the picture to learn more about the molecule
1. Draw an image of a SATURATED lipid
2. Draw an image of an unsaturated lipid.
d. Click on the link called Amino Acids at the bottom of the screen. These are the small building blocks of
proteins!
○ Browse through the different 3D images of amino acid molecules
○ In order to view an image, always click on the small link Gif above the picture AND the small
link Info above the picture to learn more about the molecule
1.
Draw an image of a 2 amino acids
e. Click on the link called Nucleotides at the bottom of the screen.
○ Browse through the different 3D images of nucleotides and nucleic acids.
○ In order to view an image, always click on the small link Gif above the picture AND the small
link Info above the picture to learn more about the molecule
1. Draw an image of a nucleotide.
Part D: What’s next?
1.List any questions that you have after this activity.
2. What is something you wonder about that you would like to look into in the future? Then, start
looking now!