By Alex Z
Biochemistry/Biosynthesis
- Let’s start this unit off by knowing what the difference between a monomer and polymer
is:
❖ It’s a bit tough to explain, but basically a monomer is a molecule that can react
together with other monomers to form what’s called a polymer.
❖ (think of the word’s root if you forget, poly- (multiple) and mono- (singular))!
- Now that we know that polymers and monomers are, let’s talk about some of the ones
that we can find in the human body!
- Some examples of polymers are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins which are each
made of their own unique monomers!
The monomers for each are shown below:
Polymer Monomer
Carbohydrates Monosaccharides (like glucose or galactose)
Fats Fatty acids and glycerol (triglyceride)
Proteins Amino Acids
- So, a chain of the monomer shown on the right will make up the polymer shown on the
left.
- These polymers actually are part of YOU!
- FUN FACT: Of the three polymers that were mentioned up there, only one contains
nitrogen in it, and that is proteins!
Photosynthesis Unit
- Before we even bother to enter this unit, let’s go over some vocabulary that’s important
to this unit:
VOCAB:
, Photosynthesis: The process in which producers use water, carbon, and energy from
the sun to synthesize foods.
Cellular Respiration: A series of chemical reactions to break down glucose to form
ATP (energy). [REMEMBER: GLUCOSE DOESN’T BECOME ATP, SINCE MATTER
CANNOT BECOME ENERGY, IT IS INSTEAD USED TO HELP CREATE ATP
THROUGH A SERIES OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS!]
Complex Body Carbohydrate: Polymers made up of chains of sugar molecules
(glucose) that are strung together in long chains!
- Photosynthesis is a process that only producers in an environment can do, for example,
trees or bushes.
- Photosynthesis happens in the chloroplasts of a plant’s cells. This is where a green
pigment called chlorophyll absorbs light and heat energy from the sun and uses it to
begin the process of photosynthesis (since it NEEDS energy to happen, making it an
endothermic reaction.)
➢ IMPORTANT: Since photosynthesis needs light and heat energy from the sun, this
means that it can ONLY happen during the daytime since during the night, there is no
heat or light energy from the sun hitting it.
Important question for this unit: HOW DOES A TINY SEED GROW INTO A TREE?
Let’s use our ideas we’ve learned as well as a few NEW ideas to answer this:
- The seed (whichever seed it may be), has complex body carbohydrates stored within it,
so it begins to break down these complex body carbs in the process of cellular
respiration!
- One of the main products, or outputs of cellular respiration is ATP, a form of energy that
cells use.
(In the visual above, notice how ATP has THREE phosphates attached to it, that is a
very important thing to keep in mind!)
- Now, with the newly made energy, the seed is able to create NEW complex body
carbohydrates, like its roots or its leaves. Once the seed sprouts a leaf above the soil,
it becomes a seedling and we move onto the second part of it developing!
- The leaves that then sprout have small organelles within their cells called chloroplasts,
which contain chlorophyll, a green pigment!
, - Chlorophyll is the chemical that is used to capture light and heat energy (endothermic
reaction) from the sun.
- Now, when this seedling wants to perform photosynthesis, it takes in H2O (water) from its
roots, and CO2 from the air around it and is able to use the energy captured using its
chloroplasts to REARRANGE the H2O and CO2 into glucose C6H12O6 and oxygen O2!
- Since glucose and oxygen are produced from photosynthesis, this makes them the products
from photosynthesis, and since water and carbon dioxide were taken in during photosynthesis,
they are the reactants!
- The glucose that is produced can then be used to build more complex body carbs or can be
broken down in cellular respiration (exothermic reaction since it releases energy)!
Now that we have that done with, let’s go over what exactly cellular respiration and photosynthesis use up
and WHEN they can occur!
- Photosynthesis:
- Cellular respiration:
Notice anything?
➔ The products of photosynthesis are the reactants of cellular respiration!
➔ The products of cellular respiration are the reactants of photosynthesis (minus sunlight,
which is the control, or thing that stays at the same level throughout the whole time in this
“experiment”)!
- So, these two reactions go hand-in-hand, one would not happen without the other!
The thing is though, notice how photosynthesis requires sunlight? This means that it can
only happen in the day! This means that plants can only produce oxygen and glucose to
break down during the daytime.
On the other hand, cellular respiration only requires glucose and oxygen, which means
that it can happen at any time of the day by ANY living thing, INCLUDING
PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS, so they actually end up using a lot of the glucose and
oxygen they produce by themselves. The amount that we get is just what they don’t use!
Biochemistry/Biosynthesis
- Let’s start this unit off by knowing what the difference between a monomer and polymer
is:
❖ It’s a bit tough to explain, but basically a monomer is a molecule that can react
together with other monomers to form what’s called a polymer.
❖ (think of the word’s root if you forget, poly- (multiple) and mono- (singular))!
- Now that we know that polymers and monomers are, let’s talk about some of the ones
that we can find in the human body!
- Some examples of polymers are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins which are each
made of their own unique monomers!
The monomers for each are shown below:
Polymer Monomer
Carbohydrates Monosaccharides (like glucose or galactose)
Fats Fatty acids and glycerol (triglyceride)
Proteins Amino Acids
- So, a chain of the monomer shown on the right will make up the polymer shown on the
left.
- These polymers actually are part of YOU!
- FUN FACT: Of the three polymers that were mentioned up there, only one contains
nitrogen in it, and that is proteins!
Photosynthesis Unit
- Before we even bother to enter this unit, let’s go over some vocabulary that’s important
to this unit:
VOCAB:
, Photosynthesis: The process in which producers use water, carbon, and energy from
the sun to synthesize foods.
Cellular Respiration: A series of chemical reactions to break down glucose to form
ATP (energy). [REMEMBER: GLUCOSE DOESN’T BECOME ATP, SINCE MATTER
CANNOT BECOME ENERGY, IT IS INSTEAD USED TO HELP CREATE ATP
THROUGH A SERIES OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS!]
Complex Body Carbohydrate: Polymers made up of chains of sugar molecules
(glucose) that are strung together in long chains!
- Photosynthesis is a process that only producers in an environment can do, for example,
trees or bushes.
- Photosynthesis happens in the chloroplasts of a plant’s cells. This is where a green
pigment called chlorophyll absorbs light and heat energy from the sun and uses it to
begin the process of photosynthesis (since it NEEDS energy to happen, making it an
endothermic reaction.)
➢ IMPORTANT: Since photosynthesis needs light and heat energy from the sun, this
means that it can ONLY happen during the daytime since during the night, there is no
heat or light energy from the sun hitting it.
Important question for this unit: HOW DOES A TINY SEED GROW INTO A TREE?
Let’s use our ideas we’ve learned as well as a few NEW ideas to answer this:
- The seed (whichever seed it may be), has complex body carbohydrates stored within it,
so it begins to break down these complex body carbs in the process of cellular
respiration!
- One of the main products, or outputs of cellular respiration is ATP, a form of energy that
cells use.
(In the visual above, notice how ATP has THREE phosphates attached to it, that is a
very important thing to keep in mind!)
- Now, with the newly made energy, the seed is able to create NEW complex body
carbohydrates, like its roots or its leaves. Once the seed sprouts a leaf above the soil,
it becomes a seedling and we move onto the second part of it developing!
- The leaves that then sprout have small organelles within their cells called chloroplasts,
which contain chlorophyll, a green pigment!
, - Chlorophyll is the chemical that is used to capture light and heat energy (endothermic
reaction) from the sun.
- Now, when this seedling wants to perform photosynthesis, it takes in H2O (water) from its
roots, and CO2 from the air around it and is able to use the energy captured using its
chloroplasts to REARRANGE the H2O and CO2 into glucose C6H12O6 and oxygen O2!
- Since glucose and oxygen are produced from photosynthesis, this makes them the products
from photosynthesis, and since water and carbon dioxide were taken in during photosynthesis,
they are the reactants!
- The glucose that is produced can then be used to build more complex body carbs or can be
broken down in cellular respiration (exothermic reaction since it releases energy)!
Now that we have that done with, let’s go over what exactly cellular respiration and photosynthesis use up
and WHEN they can occur!
- Photosynthesis:
- Cellular respiration:
Notice anything?
➔ The products of photosynthesis are the reactants of cellular respiration!
➔ The products of cellular respiration are the reactants of photosynthesis (minus sunlight,
which is the control, or thing that stays at the same level throughout the whole time in this
“experiment”)!
- So, these two reactions go hand-in-hand, one would not happen without the other!
The thing is though, notice how photosynthesis requires sunlight? This means that it can
only happen in the day! This means that plants can only produce oxygen and glucose to
break down during the daytime.
On the other hand, cellular respiration only requires glucose and oxygen, which means
that it can happen at any time of the day by ANY living thing, INCLUDING
PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS, so they actually end up using a lot of the glucose and
oxygen they produce by themselves. The amount that we get is just what they don’t use!
