Prompt
When considering the hierarchy of biological organization, macromolecules are the last abiotic (i.e. non-living) “step” before the smallest functional living units cells. If organisms were not able to obtain these macromolecules, either through synthesis or ingestion, life could not exist. For this discussion you will be building on the foundation of the previous Module by defining what macromolecules are and using your knowledge of their molecular structure to explore how they “fuel” us via the process of cellular respiration.
First, you will need to write a 200-300 word post covering the following topics:
Look through your kitchen pantry/refrigerator (or grocery store as the case may be) and find representative foods for 3 of the major macromolecule types – Fats, Proteins, and Carbohydrates. A few important notes:
Some foods may fit more than one category…however, each individual student must have 3 different food examples (i.e. you cannot choose “egg” and put it in all three categories).
Students may not repeat a food within the same category (i.e. Student A and Student B cannot both list “egg” for protein).
Students may use the same food within different categories (i.e. Student A uses “egg” for fats, Student B uses “egg” for protein).
Include in your categorization whether or not this food is a “good” source of that macromolecule (i.e. does this include unsaturated vs. saturated fats? Is it a high source of protein? Overly processed?)
Because “egg” was used as our example, you cannot use it in your response.
As you and your classmates contribute to the macromolecule conversation, take a look through the examples and think about where you get most of your nutrients (most of your macromolecules!) from.
Given what you have learned about macromolecules and the foods that they are found in, come up with a justification about which macromolecule you think is the most important for a human’s diet. In this context, the word “diet” means what humans eat to gain energy, not a fad diet or calorie counting.
In your post, you must include an explanation about why you think your molecule is superior using biological reasoning (hint: cellular respiration may be helpful here!)
