3-D Molecules
Essential Questions:
What are the molecules that make
up all living things?
1. Click on “Monosaccharides” in the Carbohydrates section, then
click on the “Glucose” button. Right-click, select “Style,” then “ball
& stick” and rotate it.
a. What chemical elements is glucose made of? How many
atoms of each element are there in one molecule of glucose?
(See color key above)
6 carbon, 12 hydrogen, 6 oxygen
C6H12O6
1b. What is glucose, and why is it
important to ALL life on Earth?
• The sugar plants make in
photosynthesis.
• Glucose at beginning of ALL
food chains.
• ALL living things get energy
from glucose.
2. Click on “Back to Index,” then “Disaccharides,” then “Sucrose.”
Change Style to “ball and stick” and rotate it.
a. What elements is sucrose (table sugar) made of? How many
atoms of each element in one sucrose molecule?
12 carbon, 22 hydrogen, 11 oxygen
C12H22O11
b. Glucose is a monosaccharide; it is one simple sugar molecule
based on a ring of carbon atoms. How many carbon rings do you
see in a sucrose molecule? What do we call this kind of sugar?
2
disaccharide
3. What are the two main forms of carbohydrates and what is the
main function of carbohydrates in living things?
Sugars and starches
Main source of energy for all living things
4. Click on “Back to Index,” then “Polyaccharides,” then “Glycogen” and click on
the button in that section with a movie camera on it to see an animation.
a. Change style to “ball and stick” and rotate it. To zoom in, press the Shift
key and slide your finger up and down the scroll bar on the right side of your
mousepad. How does a glycogen molecule compare in size to a glucose
molecule?
Way bigger
b. How does your body use glycogen?
To store extra glucose in the liver
glucose
5. Go back to Index and click on “Fatty acids” in the Lipids section. Click on the “X”
button next to “palmitic acid” to see a saturated fat.
Change display to “ball & stick” and rotate it. What elements is
palmitic acid made of? How many atoms of each element?
16 carbon, 32 hydrogen, 2 oxygen
6. Click on the “X” button next to “oleic acid” to see an unsaturated fat.
Change display to “ball & stick” and rotate it. What elements is oleic acid
made of? How many atoms of each element?
18 carbon, 34 hydrogen, 2 oxygen
7. Which kinds of fat are considered less healthy in your diet, saturated or unsaturated?
Why is this so? Do you see anything in their molecular structures that may explain why this
is so?
• Saturated
• Saturated fats clog arteries
• Sat. fat molecules straight, stack easier to form solid layers on artery walls.
8. What are the two main forms of lipids and what is the main
function of lipids in living things??
• Fats and oils
• Store energy
• Forms cell membranes
9. Go back to Index and click on “Hemoglobin” in the Proteins section. Change
display to “ball & stick” and rotate it.
a. How does this protein molecule compare in size to sugar molecules? Lipids?
Way bigger than both
Where in your body is
Hemoglobin found?
9b. Change Style to “Cartoon.” Right-click again and select “Color,” then “Cartoon,”
then “Amino Acid.” Each different colored section you see represents an amino acid.
How many different amino acids are there in hemoglobin? List the colors you see.
11: gray, white, green, blue, teal, blue-gray, orange, red, violet,
peach, yellow
9c. What is an amino acid?
Building block of proteins; proteins are chains of amino acids.
10. Proteins are often referred to as the “workhorses of the body”
because of the many functions they perform. Explain at least four
different functions of proteins in living things.
• Building materials for all cells, tissues
• Help transport things in and out of cells
• Help fight diseases (antibodies)
• Control rate of chemical reactions
(enzymes)
11. Go back to Index and click on “DNA” in the Nucleic Acids section. Change Style
to “ball and stick.” What chemical elements is DNA made of? Click on “Color
Schemes” at bottom of menu on right side to see color key for elements.
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus
12. Use the mousepad to rotate the DNA molecule. How would you
describe its shape?
• Double helix
• Twisted ladder, spiral
• corkscrew
13. What is the function of DNA in living things?
• Carries genetic information
for traits passed from
parents to offspring ( hair
color, eye color, etc.)
14. Which three chemical elements were found in all the molecules
you observed? Which one forms the “backbone” of all these
molecules?
• Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
• Carbon
15. Take a look at the food pyramid below. What kind of foods are good sources of
carbohydrates? Lipids? Proteins?
Carbohydrates:
Lipids:
Bread, cereal, rice, pasta
Fats, oils, meat, poultry, dairy, fried foods
Proteins:
Meat, poultry, fish, dairy,
dry beans, eggs, nuts
16. Why do you think it’s important to balance your diet with foods from all these
groups?
Can’t get all the nutrients your body needs from one group. Need to eat from
all groups to get all the nutrients you need.
News Reports: Fructose vs. Glucose
• Fructose may lead to overeating
http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2020037233_fructos
eeatingxml.html#.UOUcMJwQbpY.facebook
• Cancer cells prefer fructose to glucose
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/08/02/cancer-fructoseidAFN0210830520100802
Questions?