2.1: Molecules to metabolism
Teaching time: 1 hour           Practical time: 0 hours
key vocabulary
prior learning & retrieval practice
Review the structure of prokaryotes
Review the structure of eukaryotes: animal cells
Review 1.2 ultrastructure of cells
Review the structure of eukaryotes: plant cells
Molecules
Molecular Biology.pdfEssential idea: Living organisms control their composition by a complex web of chemical reactions.
U1: Molecular biology explains living processes in terms of the chemical substances involved.
Exercise 1: Read the article opposite and connect-extend-challenge.
You can use the quizlet to help you learn these terms.
U2: Carbon atoms can form four covalent bonds allowing a diversity of stable compounds to exist.
U3: Life is based on carbon compounds including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
Exercise 2: Read through the article opposite, summarise each section and add new key words to your biology glossary.
S1: Drawing molecular diagrams of glucose, ribose, a saturated fatty acid and a generalized amino acid.
Exercise 3: Draw molecular diagrams of glucose, ribose, a saturated fatty acid and a generalised amino acid.
Notes:
In these diagrams, carbon will make 4 covalent bonds, Nitrogen 3, Oxygen 2 and Hydrogen 1
Some diagrams do not show the carbon or hydrogen because they are so abundant in organic molecules.
Where the carbons are not shown, the bend in a line indicates the presence of carbon
Glucose
Amino acid
Ribose
A saturated fatty acid
S2: Identification of biochemicals such as sugars, lipids or amino acids from molecular diagrams.
Exercise 4: Answer these questions.
Metabolism
U4: Metabolism is the web of all the enzyme-catalysed reactions in a cell or organism.
U5: Anabolism is the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler molecules including the formation of macromolecules from monomers by condensation reactions.
U6: Catabolism is the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler molecules including the hydrolysis of macromolecules into monomers.
Transformers fans: How is the formation of devastator like anabolism?
Urea
NoS: Falsification of theories—the artificial synthesis of urea helped to falsify vitalism. (1.9)
A1: Urea as an example of a compound that is produced by living organisms but can also be artificially synthesized.
Exercise 5: Watch this video and connect-extend-challenge
02 The Chemistry of Life.m4v