Download Compounds for Life

Compounds for Life
Biological Molecules
Macro to Micro demo
Break your cracker in half. If it crumbles that is okay, just try to get it into equal
portions.
When I say go, you will place one half of the cracker into your mouth and rest it on
your tongue.
You cannot chew or swallow for 1 minute.
As the minute goes by, be sure to make observations about what is happening.
Yes, it is gross….get over it!!!
Repeat the process a second time, did you notice anything sweet?
Digestion
Our bodies break down the food we eat in two different ways.
Mechanical (Physical) Digestion- chewing, mashing, grinding
Chemical Digestion- changing the chemical composition of the food, breaking
large molecules into smaller molecules.
Which of these did we just model with the cracker?
-Chemical Digestion, the only thing acting on the cracker was the enzymes in
your saliva
Enzymes
-Enzymes are chemicals that assist in breaking down compounds.
-Remember that compounds are held together by chemical bonds.
-Enzymes are like tiny pairs of scissors that cut the chemical
bonds that hold the molecule together. (The toothpicks from our
constructing molecules lab)
Physical Vs Chemical Changes
How do we know the difference?
We can make observations to give us clues
Physical Changes
Physical Change- the substance doesn’t change, only gets smaller.
Changing states of matter
-boiling water (liquid to gas)
Chopping, Breaking pieces, Dissolving
- cutting up a potato, breaking a pencil in half, sugar dissolving in water
Chemical Changes
Chemical changes- a new chemical is formed
Evidence of chemical changes can include:
-bubbles forming when substances are added/mixed, a color change,
burning/fire
Examples: Rust forming on metal, Silver tarnishing (changing colors), Burning
a pile of wood, Cooking bread and seeing it rise
Biological Molecules (Macromolecules)
● Large organic molecules found in any living
organism
● Responsible for the structure and function
of the body
● We get them from food we eat and air we
breathe.
● 4 biological molecules: Proteins,
Carbohydrates, Nucleic Acids, Lipids
Macro to Micro
Our bodies take macromolecules and break them down through
digestion into micromolecules that we can use for cell processes
and energy. (From big to small)
Carbohydrates
■ Include sugar, starches, and cellulose
■ Contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
■ Are a source of energy in the cells
Macro to Micro
-Carbohydrates break down into simple sugars
Lipids
■ Fats, oils, hormones, waxes
■ Function is to store energy and make up
cell membranes.
■ Saturated and Unsaturated
■ Enzymes from the pancreas help break
down lipids to aid in digestion and
energy use.
Macro to Micro
-Lipids break down into fatty acids
Proteins
■
■
The body makes 11 of the 20 amino acids. The other 9 “essential
amino acids” come from food you eat like like fish, beans, dairy, and
meat.
These amino acids are used to make enzymes and acids that aid in
chemical digestion
Macro to Micro
-Proteins break down into amino acids
Nucleic Acids
■ Stores and transmits genetic
information.
■ Elements needed to make nucleic acids
come from food we eat.
■ Examples: DNA (genetic information) &
RNA (makes proteins that a cell needs)
Macro to Micro
-Nucleic Acids break down into nucleotides
Crash Course: Biological Molecules