Driving Me Nuts!
A Structure and Function Activity
PSI AP Biology
Name: ________________________________
Objective
Students will assemble a simple vehicle out of hardware parts and analyze how the form of each
component relates to its function in the vehicle. They will then apply this knowledge to biological
molecules.
Standard
Essential Knowledge 4.A.1: The subcomponents of biological molecules and their sequence determine
the properties of that molecule.
Materials
Each student needs:
Activity worksheet
Each group needs:
Ziploc bag containing the following:
2 mending plates
2 screws
6 nuts
4 washers
MendingPlates
Plates
Mending
Screws
Nuts
Washers
www.njctl.org
AP Biology
Emergence of Organic Molecules
Procedure
1. Take everything out of the Ziploc bag.
2. Observe each item’s structure and record your observations in Table 1.
3. Assembly instructions:
a. Place a washer onto a screw, flush against the head of the screw.
b. Put the screw through the end hole of one mending plate.
c. Screw a nut onto the screw flush against the mending plate.
d. On the other end of the screw, screw a nut ¼ of the way down the screw.
e. Put the screw through the end hole of the second mending plate, pushing the plate
flush against the nut.
f. Put a washer onto the screw, pushing it flush against the mending plate.
g. Screw a nut onto the end of the screw, flush against the washer.
h. Repeat steps a-g using the holes at the opposite ends of the mending plates.
i. The finished product should look like a simple vehicle:
4.
5.
6.
7.
Examine how each part of the vehicle functions as a result of its structural components.
Complete Table 2 based on the correlations between the structure and function of each item.
Answer the Analysis questions.
Answer the Application questions.
www.njctl.org
AP Biology
Emergence of Organic Molecules
Data
Table 1. Item Observations
Item
Observations
Mending plate
Screw
Nut
Washer
www.njctl.org
AP Biology
Emergence of Organic Molecules
Table 2. Structure and function of items
Item
Structure
Function
Mending plate
Screw
Nut
Washer
www.njctl.org
AP Biology
Emergence of Organic Molecules
Analysis
1. Choose any item from Table 2 and evaluate how its structure correlates to its function as part of
the simple vehicle.
2. Washers are available in a variety of sizes. Would the vehicle function if the hole in the washer
were twice as large? What would happen?
Application
1. RNA molecules are composed of a ribose, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. There
are three different types of RNA molecules: tRNA, mRNA, and rRNA. Despite the fact that
they are all composed of the same building blocks, each type of RNA carries out a different
function.
a. What structural components of the RNA molecule allow it to carry out different
functions?
b. How does this differ from the DNA molecule?
www.njctl.org
AP Biology
Emergence of Organic Molecules
2. Phospholipids, composed of two fatty acids attached to a phosphate group, are an
important part of the cellular membrane.
a. Describe the role that phospholipids play in the cellular membrane.
b. How does the phosphate group relate to this function?
c. How do the fatty acids relate to this function?
3. Amylase is an enzymatic protein found in saliva. It catalyzes the reaction that hydrolyzes
starch into simpler sugars. The structure of amylase is very important. There is a specific
location on the amylase molecule where the reaction is catalyzed. If the shape of amylase
changes at all, it will no longer be a functional enzyme. Describe how the structure of
amylase, as well as all proteins, allows it to carry out its specific function.
www.njctl.org
AP Biology
Emergence of Organic Molecules
4. Cellulose is a polysaccharide used for structural support in plant cell walls. The bonds
between the cellulose monomers are cross-linked by hydrogen bonds. How does the
structure of cellulose enable it to function as structural support in cell walls?
www.njctl.org
AP Biology
Emergence of Organic Molecules
www.njctl.org
AP Biology
Emergence of Organic Molecules