The Structure of Proteins!!!

This is a picture of collagen, a protein in our bodies.


    In Class, we have been studying about proteins. We did a fun experiment where we built protein molecules using fruit loops. The secondary structure of proteins is both helical and sheetlike. A quaternary structure the interaction of four separate polypeptide chains in a hemoglobin molecule. Collagen provides structure to our bodies, and it protects and supports the softer tissues. collagen in the bones of people with Osteogenesis Imperfecta does not function properly, and the bones break. It is a basic protein in our body. A peptide bond exists between two amino acids in a protein. The sequence of amino acids is the primary structure of proteins. The building blocks for amino acids are proteins. Proteins function as a lot of different things, such as enzymes, and hormones. Glucose is the basic unit of starch. Long chains of carbon found in triglycerides and phospholipids is fatty acids.The breakdown of large molecules of water is called hydrolysis. Proteins serve an important role in our bodies. I have a good understanding of proteins, and how they function in our body.  

macromolecules map

Different Types Of Macromolecules In Your Body

This is a picture of monosaccharides.



This is a picture of Sucrose which is a disaccharid, and Glucose and Frutose which is a monosaccharide.





 In Biology, we have been studying and learning about biochemistry. I have learned alot of things about macromolecules, like how they are big molecules that are the building blocks of most cells. The four main types of macromolecules are proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. Monomers are composed of sugars, amino acid, fatty acid, and nucleotides. These individual components are linked together, and they are built up of one building block. Monomers are joined together by a process called dehydration synthesis. A chain that is formed when monomers are linked together is a polymer. A polymerase enzyme joins monomers together. Polymers are broken down by a process called hyrolysis, in which a water molecule comes in and breaks a covalent bond between two polymers and the hydroxide ion from the ion and the oxygen bond to either monomer.

  In order to build a polysaccharide I arranged the sugar monomers by putting four of them in a row in the build a carbohydrate activity. Building blocks of molecules that are not used to build carbohydrates is the nucleotide, fatty acid and amino acid. Sugar is stored as glycogen in the human body for energy. Starch and glycogen are polymers of glucose. Plants are essential to animal life because animals take advantage of the ability of plants to manufacture sugar and other nutrients. Starch is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. Starch is digested by animals by beginning in the mouth with salivary amylase that continues in the small intestine with pancreatic amylase. Saturated fat is a fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty radicals. It is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol.

The lab that we did consisted of testing different types of sugars, and classifying them as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. The monosaccharides stays clear when using Iodine solution. Glucose would be an example of a monosaccharide. Mono means one, di means two, and poly means many. We tested different sugars using Benedict's and iodine solutions. To identify a sugar is a disaccharide, by using Benedict's Solution it turns out to be a blue color. Sucrose would be a disaccharide. A polysaccharide has no change in color when using Benedict's solution. When a sugar has a color change in Benedict's solution it is a monosaccharide and it turns a bright orange. Starch is a polysaccharide, and Fructose is a monosaccharide. To identify that a sugar is a monosaccharide, by using iodine solution it turns out to be a clear color. Three elements that are in all carbohydrates are oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. By doing this lab and studying about the types of different macromolecules, I have a good understanding of how they function and work.