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ACTIVITY II-MONOMERS & POLYMERS
ALL CELLS MAKE A HUGE NUMBER OF LARGE MOLECULES FROM A SMALL SET
OF SMALL MOLECULES THAT ENTER CELLS FROM OUTSIDE THE CELLS
PART A: LOOK AT THE PICTURE BELOW. BASED ON THE PICTURE CAN YOU
DESCRIBE WHAT A MONOMER AND POLYMER ARE: WRITE DESCRIPTION
BELOW THE PICTURE:
PART B: READ THE DESCRIPTION OF MONOMERS AND POLYMERS BELOW:
Most of the organic compounds we will study are examples of polymers. A polymer is a
large chemical compound (macromolecule) composed of smaller repeating units --- over
& over & over again. Like a long choo-choo train is made up of smaller connected,
repeating, choo-choo cars. Each individual choo-choo car is a monomer. Thus,
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monomers are the smaller molecules that are linked together to make the polymer (bigger
molecule-entire choo-choo train).
There are four biologically important categories of molecules:
carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Three of these,
carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids, are built from similar,
smaller molecular units , connected to each other with strong covalent
bonds. The units are called monomers ("mono" means "one" or single)
and they are linked together into long chains we call polymers ("poly"
means "many").
Sometimes macromolecules, such as cellulose, are strings of exactly
the same monomers, and sometimes they are made of a small set of
different monomers, as is DNA.
One important type of macromolecule is not considered a polymer at
all -- lipids (fats). Lipids (fats) are not made from smaller molecules or
monomers bonded together.
PART C: CONSTRUCT A POLYMER FROM MONOMERS USING
PAPER CLIPS
1. First show a polymer made from same type of monomer.
2. Second show a polymer made different but similar monomers.
3. Use the diagram below for help.
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PART D: WEB ANIMATION-HOW ARE POLYMERS MADE FROM MONOMERS?
VIEW THE ANIMATION BELOW WHILE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS:
DEHYDRATION SYNTHESISCAND HYDROLYSIS
(http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/biocoach/bioprop/monomers.h
tml)
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. What sizes are most biomolecules?
2. How are macromolecules or polymers built?
3. What process links monomers together to make a polymer?
4. What is removed from each monomer before linking?
5. What process breaks apart a polymer into its monomers?
6. In the picture below what is added to break off the smaller molecule?
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7. In the picture below what is removed to join the monomers?
PART E: READING AND COMPLETE CHART:
The chemical process that connects the smaller subunits to form large organic compounds
is called dehydration synthesis. "Synthesis" means to build. The "dehydration" part of the
term refers to the fact that water is lost during the chemical process that bonds the
subunits together.
Hydrolysis is the process that breaks large organic compounds into their smaller subunits.
It is the opposite of dehydration synthesis. In HYDROlysis, water (hydro) is added and
the large compounds are split ("lysis" means split). The process of hydrolysis is involved
in digestion --- when food is broken down into nutrients.
REVIEW: COMPLETE CHART
PROCESS
STARTS WITH ...
Small molecules
(subunits)
Water & large molecule
ENDS WITH ...
EXAMPLE
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PART F: DEHYDRATION SYNTHESIS ACTIVITY-BUILDING A CARBOHYDRATE
MATERIAL: blue paper and other colored paper, scissors, tape, glucose paper
model, and water paper model
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1. Copy the glucose molecule onto a variety of colored papers and copy the water
drops onto blue paper.
2. Take 2 differently colored glucose molecules and number the carbons as shown
below.
3. Join (bond) the two glucoses together by cutting off an –H– from carbon number
1 of one molecule and an –OH– from carbon number 4 of another glucose
molecule.
4. Tape the 2 molecules together forming a glycosidic bond.
5. Take the trimmed H-O-H, affix it to the water drop, and tape the water drop onto
the glycosidic bond.
6. Once this is complete you will a disaccharide (two simple sugars linked
together).
7. Take you disaccharide and bond it in the same manner with another pair of
students using the same paper dehydration synthesis process.
8. Continue with additional groups until you have a multi-colored long chain
polysaccharide (many simple sugars linked together) which can be hung on the
walls of the classroom.
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PART G: ANSWER QUESTIONS BELOW:
1. If a polymer made up of sixteen monomers was completely broken apart into
sixteen separate monomers in the process of dehydration synthesis, How many
water molecules will be used up in the process?
2. How many water molecules would be formed if twenty monomers were joined
together to make a polymer?
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