Biochemistry Unit
Foundations in Biology
Niehoff 2014-2015
Essential Questions
Why do we eat the food we eat?
What composes our food?
What happens to the food our bodies consume?
Enduring Understandings
 The food we eat is broken down and re-used in our bodies
 The food we eat contains proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids
 Enzymes break down the food we eat
 Enzymes help speed up chemical reactions that take place in our bodies
 Proteins make up many structures in our bodies and are made of amino acids
 Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is used to provide the
cells with energy
 Nucleic acids break down into nucleotides and are used to create DNA and
RNA
 Lipids are fats that are used for energy storage
Targets
 Vocabulary: digestion, chemical reaction, proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic
acids, lipids, amino acids, enzymes, glucose, simple sugars, nucleotides, lipids,
small intestine, large intestine, stomach, rectum, anus, mouth, teeth,
esophagus
 Students will be able to explain the role of enzymes and their importance in
digestion
 Students will be able to explain the phrase “you are what you eat”
 Students will be able to explain the process of digestion and identify the parts
of the digestive system
 Students will be able to explain the importance of each of the
macromolecules