Biology I: MACROMOLECULES Unit Outline
Required Reading:
 Chapters 2.3 & 2.4 in Miller and Levine
 Foundations in Biology: pp 7-1 to 7-12 & 7-28 to 7-39 (handout)
 Class websites:
 www.tigerbiology.pbwiki.com (This unit outline can be found on the website.)
 www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~melissa_rice/
Section Vocabulary
Below is a list of all of the vocabulary terms used in this unit. By the end of the unit, you will be able to
write a working definition of each term and correctly use each term.
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Acid
activation energy
active site
amino acid
amino group
Base
Biomolecule
carbohydrate
carbonyl group
carboxyl group
catalyst
Competitive inhibitor
Cholesterol
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dehydration synthesis
disaccharides
DNA
endothermic
exothermic
enzyme
enzyme inhibitor
enzyme-substrate complex
glycerol
hydrogen bond
hydrolysis
hydroxyl group
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lipids
macromolecules
monomer
monosaccharide
noncompetitive inhibitor
non-specific inhibitor
nucleic acid
peptide bond
pH scale
phosphate group
phospholipids
polymer
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Polysaccharides
protein
reactant
RNA
saturated fat
solubility
steroids
specific inhibitor
Substrate(s)
unsaturated fat
valence electrons
variable group
Bold & Italicized font= enzyme specific vocabulary
Main Concepts (by the end of the unit you should be able to…)
1. Identify the 5 function groups (Molecular Modeling Lab #1)
2. You should be able to recognize the following biomolecules: Lipids, Carbohydrates, Nucleic acids, and Amino
acids or proteins
3. For each of the four biomolecules above, you should be able to list or draw:
a. The general structure
b. The name of the single or monomeric unit
c. The name of the polymers formed.
d. Important uses of this type of molecule in the body.
4. Explain how polymers are made through dehydration synthesis and broken down through hydrolysis.
5. Describe the structure and function enzymes. Explain the role of enzymes in chemical reactions.
6. Compare and contrast competitive, noncompetitive, specific and non specific enzyme inhibitors.
Outside Class Assignments
Thoughtfully do each of the following assignments. Include all your reasoning and show all your work
wherever it is appropriate. Due dates for each assignment will be given in class. (Please remember work that is passed in late is automatically discounted points.)
1. Read page 44-45 in your text and answer the following questions:
a. Provide 2 reasons why there is an entire branch of chemistry devoted to study the
properties of carbon.
b. What are macromolecules?
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c. How are monomers and polymers related?
d. What is polymerization?
e. What are the four groups of organic molecules?
Complete Macromolecules Summary Table (handout)
Problem Set I- Identifying Monomers and Polymers
Practice Packet (handout)
Problem Set II- Biomolecules Worksheets (handout)
This graph shows the activity of two enzymes involved in
digestion relative to pH. Use the graph to answer the
following questions:
a. What enzyme works best in an environment with a
neutral pH?
b. What enzyme works best in an environment with an
acidic pH?
c. If you needed both enzymes to work at the same
time in the same test tube, what pH should you
use?
d. What would be the efficiency (% activity) of each
enzyme?
7. This diagram represents a reaction curve for a simple
chemical reaction (it appears much more complicated
because it is from a chemistry text).
a. Which letter (a-e) represents the activation energy
of the reaction?
b. On this graph, redraw the curve showing the effect
of an enzyme on this reaction.
8. Describe how an enzyme would convert a dipeptide (two
amino acids bound together) into two amino acids. Your
paragraph should correctly incorporate the following terms: substrate, active site, product, and
lock-and-key model.
9. The following table shows the results of an experiment testing the
activity of an enzyme at various temperatures.
a. Graph the enzyme activity (y-axis) vs. temperature (x-axis).
b. Where would you expect to find a creature that contains an
enzyme like this (arctic, tropical rainforest, temperate
forest)?
10. Describe how enzyme inhibitors work.
a. Compare and contrast specific and nonspecific inhibitors.
b. Compare and contrast competitive and noncompetitive
inhibitors.
Temperature
(°C)
30
35
37.5
40
42.5
45
50
Activity
(%)
25
65
85
100
75
50
0