Unit 2 Reflection

      In this unit we learned about biological units on the smaller scale and how they interact with each other. First, we learned about properties of atoms and molecules, including adhesion to other substances, cohesion to itself, and how polar molecules attract to each other. We then learned about the 4 main large molecules (macromolecules) which are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for consumers, lipids store energy, proteins serve many different functions such as cell walls and enzymes for chemical , and nucleic acids serve as sources of information.

   

     This unit was interesting, and overall I think it went very well. I was able to understand the information presented with little difficulty or confusion. I learned that reviewing over the notes right after watching the vodcasts helped me retain the material even better. Throughout this unit, I learned a lot about how the topics taught are relevant to our daily life, for example, how the carbohydrate, fructose, is present in a large amount of the foods we eat everyday.

     Some of the information I learned was enforced through the sweetness lab and the cheese lab. In the sweetness lab, I learned how the different ringed structures of carbohydrates can effect the sweetness of a sugar. I found out that the monosaccharides, or the carbohydrates with one ring, are sweeter than the polysaccharides, or the multi-ringed carbohydrates. In the cheese lab I saw a real life example of how enzymes can be affected. The enzymes of rennin and chymosin worked different different paces under different temperatures and pH's, which showed how an enzyme can be denatured. The enzyme virtual lab was also a fun way of demonstrating how a drastic change in pH and temperature can decrease the amount of product created by an enzyme.

     A topic that I want to learned more about is DNA and RNA. I would like to learn more about the difference and their different functions. I am also curious as to how the string of DNA is translated into characteristics like eye color and height.