Lecture 1: A Wee Little Bit of Chemistry
In lecture 1 of this module, we will make a rapid fire tour of some basic concepts in chemistry. Some of the discussion questions to encourage your student to share what has been learned are …
• What is an atom, element, and compound?
• What are some examples of physical changes vs chemical changes?
• What is an atom, element, and compound?
• What are some examples of physical changes vs chemical changes?
Lecture 2: Diffusion and Osmosis; Carbohydrates
Diffusion and osmosis are our topics early on in today’s lecture. The students will be introduced to the complexities of semi-permeable membranes. These are walls between one area and another that allow some things to pass but not others. Encourage you student to discuss the following.
• What is the difference between hypo-, hyper-, and Isotonic conditions of the cell? What happens to the cell under each condition? What are some examples of each?
We will then begin our discussion of the four key organic molecules that make up life with carbohydrates. Encourage your student to tell you about
• The differences between mono-, di-, and polysaccharides.
• What is the difference between hypo-, hyper-, and Isotonic conditions of the cell? What happens to the cell under each condition? What are some examples of each?
We will then begin our discussion of the four key organic molecules that make up life with carbohydrates. Encourage your student to tell you about
• The differences between mono-, di-, and polysaccharides.
Lecture 3: Lipids, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids
Lipids are fats. We adults tend to shun them due to their impact on our middle-aged waist-line, but they are absolutely essential to life as we will soon see in module 6. For now, the students will be learning about their molecular structure and that they can be subcategorized into fats, oils, and waxes (yes, waxes are lipids).
Proteins make up the majority of your body. It is the building block of molecular machines that make your body function and are the enzymes that speed up chemical reactions that otherwise would occur so slowly that you couldn’t possibly survive. In module 6 we will explore proteins in even greater detail. You will be amazing in the module 6 lab at the ways these molecules assemble and fold to build the pieces of machinery that are assembled into the machine of our bodies. Inspiring and amazingly beautiful.
Proteins make up the majority of your body. It is the building block of molecular machines that make your body function and are the enzymes that speed up chemical reactions that otherwise would occur so slowly that you couldn’t possibly survive. In module 6 we will explore proteins in even greater detail. You will be amazing in the module 6 lab at the ways these molecules assemble and fold to build the pieces of machinery that are assembled into the machine of our bodies. Inspiring and amazingly beautiful.
Planning Ahead for Labs
Some of my most favorite labs come from this module. I have added in many to the module that are a lot of fun that you may want to take a look in to doing. Many of them are associated with food since the topics of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins are quite a natural part of food science.
If you decide to do the lab for seeing if a diabetic test strip could detect an accidental serving of a sugar drink instead of unsweetened at a restaurant, I recommend the [these test strips - click]. The strips in this set can be used later for the pH lab in module 15. They are also handy if you ever suspect diabetes or a urinary tract infection in a family member. It is much cheaper than a trip to the doctor to confirm it and to catch it early. Cranberry juice is a great cure for uti's, by the way. There is a chemical that is delivered to the bladder from cranberries that prevents bacteria from being able to stick to the surface of the bladder.
Browse through the labs below to see what labs are suggested in this module and see what you may need to have on hand.
If you decide to do the lab for seeing if a diabetic test strip could detect an accidental serving of a sugar drink instead of unsweetened at a restaurant, I recommend the [these test strips - click]. The strips in this set can be used later for the pH lab in module 15. They are also handy if you ever suspect diabetes or a urinary tract infection in a family member. It is much cheaper than a trip to the doctor to confirm it and to catch it early. Cranberry juice is a great cure for uti's, by the way. There is a chemical that is delivered to the bladder from cranberries that prevents bacteria from being able to stick to the surface of the bladder.
Browse through the labs below to see what labs are suggested in this module and see what you may need to have on hand.