Name ___________________________________ Hour ________________ Date_______________
Modeling Activity: Building Glucose – a ball and stick model
Objective/Benchmark:
Recognize that cells are composed primarily of a few elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
phosphorus, and sulfur), and describe the basic molecular structures of cells and the primary functions of
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
Essential Question:
What are the basic chemical principles that affect living things?
Procedure:
1.
Read pages 45-49 in text. Build a glucose molecule using the key below. Refer to the diagram of glucose
on the bottom of page 46 for help.
Black ball = carbon
Yellow ball = hydrogen
Red ball = oxygen
Springs & sticks = chemical bonds
2.
Have your teacher check your model when finished. Teacher’s initials ______________
3.
Answer the following questions using your model, notes and pages 45-49 in textbook. Answers should be
written using COMPLETE SENTENCES.
Analysis:
1.
What is the elemental symbol for carbon? For hydrogen? For oxygen?
2.
How many carbon atoms are in a molecule of glucose? How many times can a carbon atom bond?
3.
How many hydrogen atoms are in a molecule of glucose? How many times can a hydrogen atom bond?
4.
How many oxygen atoms are in a molecule of glucose? How many times can an oxygen atom bond?
5.
Write the molecular formula for glucose.
6.
Is glucose a monomer or a polymer? How are the two types of molecules related?
7.
Why is glucose referred to as a simple sugar? Name two additional simple sugars.
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Name ___________________________________ Hour ________________ Date_______________
8.
What is the difference between a simple sugar and a complex carbohydrate?
9.
In what form do animals store carbohydrates?
10. Plants store carbohydrates in multiple forms. Name two and state their function.
11. How are carbohydrates and lipids similar? How are they different?
12. Fatty acid chains vary in their chemical structure. Describe the fatty acid chains found in unsaturated fatty
acids verses those found in saturated fatty acids.
13. What element is found in proteins and not in fats or carbohydrates? State both the name and the
elemental symbol.
14. Protein structure is a key to how a protein functions in an organism. Because of the complexity of
proteins, scientists describe their shape using four levels. Briefly describe each level of a proteins
structure.
15. Nucleic acids also have a complex structure. What element is unique to nucleic acids? State both the
name and elemental symbol.
16. State the two types of nucleic acids. What is their primary function?
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