Molecules of Life in Food
Course Outcome:
use knowledge of biological principles and the scientific method to ask relevant questions, develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, interpret results, and draw conclusions
Let us take a closer look at what we eat! Pick one food (or drink) and think about it in terms of molecules and atoms by answering the following questions:
- Which plant and/or animal species is this food item made of? (if might be more than one for processed food items, check the list of ingredients).
- State a hypothesis about which micro (vitamins and minerals) and macromolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) this item contain. Remember, a hypothesis is an educated guess or prediction of results.
- After stating a hypothesis, web-search to find reliable scientific information about which nutrients this food item contains. Include a brief summary of your results.
- Does your results support the hypothesis? Why or why not?
- Pick one of the macromolecules (molecules of life) in this food and briefly describe the chemical structure. What are the building blocks? What is the role of this macromolecule in our body?
- Pick one of the elements found in this macromolecule. Determine its atomic mass, atomic number, as well as number of protons, electrons and neutrons.
Include the name of the food you pick in the title of your post. You may need to use resources in addition to the course module and text book. Please ask if you need help with web and library search. Make sure you include references to your information resources. Give your answer a subject title that reflects the content.