Macromolecules

Website:http://www.sci.uidaho.edu/bionet/biol115/t2_basics_of_life/lesson2.htm

1. What is a macromolecule?

Answer: A large molecule, and may be a protein, a lipid, a nucleic acid, or a polysaccharide (i.e., a starch).


 2.          What is a monomer?

Answer: Any of several small molecular structures that may be chemically bonded together to form long multi-part polymer molecules.

 3.          What is a polymer?
Answer: A large molecule made up of similar or identical subunits called monomers.


 4.          List the four main types of macromolecules.
Answer: Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids




 5.          What are the types of reactions that macromolecules are shown to undergo?
Answer: a covalent bond, catalyzed by a polymerase enzyme. A condensation reaction can form many kinds of polymers, proteins carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and  triglycerides.


 6.          Describe how monomers are joined together
Answer: Dehydration synthesis (also called a condensation reaction) and hydrolysis reactions




 7.  Describe how polymers are broken down.
Answer: hydrolysis reaction- the addition of a water molecule breaks the covalent bond holding the monomers together.




 8.  What is the specific name for the bond between simple sugar monomers?
Answer: Glucose




 9. Which kind of enzyme joins monomers together?
Answer: polymerase enzyme




10. Describe how you had to arrange the sugar monomers in order to build a polysaccharide.
Answers: I rotated four sugar monomers so that the oxygen and hydroen contect with another hydrogen they formed a polysaccharide.

11.  Which building blocks of macromolecules are not used in building carbohydrates?
Answer: Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, and Nucleotide

12. Why is sugar stored as glycogen in the human body
Answer: Sugar is stored as glycogen in the human body because the liver tries to maintain blood sugar levels by either absorbing or releasing sugar. Some organs such as the brain are primary glucose consumers. Slow absorption of sugars is better tolerated than the rapid absorption of larger amount. 



 13. Why are plant foods essential to animal life?

Answer: Plant foods are essential to animal life because it forms the bulk of most diets. 

Examples:

• Yams and sweet potatoes are high-caloric root vegetables. 
• Fruits tend to have a  high sugar content, mostly glucose, fructose and sucrose.  
• The green leafy vegetables are more chemically diverse and interesting foods that supply less digestible carbohydrate but more vitamins, minerals, and non-digestible fiber. 

 14.Describe how starch is digested by animals.

Answer: "The starch digestion begins in the mouth with salivary amylase, continuing in the small intestine with pancreatic amylase. Short chains of glucoses are referred to as alpha-dextrin, maltotriose , and maltose . Glucoamylase breaks these short chains down to individual glucose molecules which are absorbed. Starch is the best fuel, supplying sustained-release glucose." (citied on http://www.nutramed.com/nutrition/carbohydrates.htm) 


 15.  What is “fiber” and why is it important in your diet?

Answer: Fiber is the parts of grains, fruits, and vegetables that containcellulose and are not digested by the body. Fiber helps the intestines absorb water, which increases the bulk of thestool and causes it to move more quickly through the colon.(citied on http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fiber)


16.  What causes you to pass gas (fart) according to the article?

Answer:According to the article you pass gas due to "Colon fermentation also produces hydrogen gas, which may distend the colon and produce pain.Hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide are odorless gases. The foul smells of colon gas are mostly volatile substances produced by the putrefaction of undigested protein. One can use the sniff-test to assess the colon's protein-carbohydrate balance: smelly gas reveals increased protein putrefaction and increased body ammonia, whereas non-odorous gas indicates healthier carbohydrate fermentation." (citied on http://www.nutramed.com/nutrition/carbohydrates.htm)

17.  What are some disadvantages of a low-carb diet?
 Answer: Some disadvantages of a low-carb diet are kidney and bone health, nutritional adequacy, dietary compliance, quality of life and cancer risk.  

18.  Describe the role that sugars play in cavity formation in your teeth.
Answer:  When you eat sugar you are essentially providing a blast of fuel for acid-producing bacteria.




All pictures from :http://www.sci.uidaho.edu/bionet/biol115/t2_basics_of_life/lesson2.htm,  http://chapter5macromolecules.weebly.com/all-about-macromolecules.html, 
http://bioweb.wku.edu/courses/biol115/wyatt/biochem/carbos.htm,
http://library.thinkquest.org/27819/ch6_3.shtml,
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/plantcell.html,
http://www.bloggersbase.com/sports-and-fitness/constipation/,
http://lc.brooklyn.cuny.edu/smarttutor/corc1321/macromolec.html