Overview

This being the first couple of smaller group of projects in online learning, there was definitely some challenges. But in my opinion the skills and concepts I learned greatly outweighed my brief frustrations. The first small project we did when learning about macromolecules was creating a "healthy" daily diet off of a fast food menu of our choosing. This diet had to stay under the constraints of certain nutrients like saturated fats, proteins, and carbs. I chose Chick-Fil-A as my restaurant. After reading through their menu I quickly learned that there was no way I would reach the calorie threshold of 2000 calories without staying under the saturated fat limit. This showed me how even "healthy" foods can still be harmful to you in the long term. The next project that we did was learning about indicator solutions and how you can find different types of macromolecules by using different chemicals. For example, by putting the chemical substance DC-PIP in fruit juice you can tell that their is vitamin C in it because it turns into a clear substance, while other liquids will turn blue, which means negative. The last small project we did in this unit was called "Murder in a meal." This project was solving a murder mystery based upon what macromoecules where found in the victims stomach. We then had to connect his stomach content to a meal that he could've eaten. Overall these three projects helped me grip the complex concept of macromolecules far better.

Content

Macromolecule- a molecule containing a very large number of atoms, such as a protein, nucleic acid, or synthetic polymer.

Monomer- a molecule that can be bonded to other identical molecules to form a polymer.

Polymer- a substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly or entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together

Carbohydrate- a biomolecule consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1

a. function- fuel nervous system and muscles

b. food examples- Pasta, bread, beans, potatoes

c. monomer and polymer- glucose and starch

Protein- macromolecules, consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues

a. function- repair tissues, create enzymes

b. food examples- dairy, fish and other meats, soy

c. monomer and polymer- amino acids and polypeptides

Lipids- fatty acids or their derivatives and are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents

a. function- store energy and components of cell membranes

b. food examples- oils, waxes, and fats

c. monomer and polymer- fatty acids and triglycerides

Nucleic acids- the overall name for DNA and RNA

a. function- storage and expression of genetic information

b. food examples- meats, yeasts

c. monomer and polymer- nucleotides, DNA and RNA

Indicator solution- chemical compound added in small amounts to a solution so the pH (acidity or basicity) of the solution can be determined visually.

Reflection

One thing that I did well during this unit of smaller projects was collaboration. I say this because it was at first challenging talking to people through a screen. But as I got more and more comfortable with it, I felt that it was just as easy to share ideas and collaborate through a screen than in a classroom. One example was in the aftermath of the projects when I talked to classmates who did the project separately from me. It was interesting see how they did the project differently but learned the same thing. Another thing that I did well was being prepared. I was prepared by having my assignments in on time and having my computer charged.

One thing that I could've improved on in this project was utilization my time. Since there is a lot more distractions at home, it was harder for me to focus on one task when I had lots of other tasks to do. This led to me slightly procrastinating rather than just getting it done. Next time I will make a schedule so I can organize my time better. Another thing that I could've improved was asking questions. This was a very challenging subject for me and next time I will ask questions when I am confused.