Organic Molecules

This week we talked about different types of organic molecules. This was defiantly the hardest week so far. We learned how to identify different types of organic molecules, identify distinguishing features of each class of molecules and when given a molecule we learned to assign  class. The different classes we learned about where amino acids, steroids (type of lipid), fatty acids (another type of lipid), sugars (building blocks of carbohydrates), and nucleic acids. We also learned about amino acids and how they are the building blocks of proteins – molecules that play an important role in the body.  Something important we learned is organic molecule are carbon based and inorganic molecule are not.

The only Big Idea this topic connects to is Big Idea 4 A.1: “The subcomponents of biological molecules and their sequence determine the properties of that molecule.” We see this with CHNOPS (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur). Depending on the elements making up the molecules its completely different. Different elements put molecules in different classes and give them different purposes and characteristics.

I had a hard time grasping the ideas of this week. It was reflected in my quiz. I’m not sure exactly what to do to better understand. Like last week, I don’t know what my questions are because I don’t understand enough. I don’t understand how you know what goes where and the different bonds between different atoms and molecules when drawing the different models. I also don’t understand what Vander Waals bonds are. The highlight of the week was the “Fun with Milk and Eggs” lab. It was a fun way to end the week and connect to lesson. It made everything feel less stressful and easier to understand.

pH

This week in AP bio, we took a turn for the worst and started talking about what seems to be chemistry. We have started taking about protons and electrons and bonds and everything else thats wrong with science. I’m not much of a science kid and more than that I’m not much of a chemistry kid. I have a very hard time grasping ideas and theories that I can physically see. I understand adaptation because I can see examples with my eyes but covalent bonds and why bonds even happen or why electrons are a thing, forget it. For the same reason, I hate space.

I couldn’t find a direct connect to any of the Big Ideas but Big Idea 4 talks about molecules a little bit and we are talking about molecules and compounds. The biggest part of the week, however, was pH. We talked a lot about acids and bases and what it means and how it changes or doesn’t change when buffers are introduced. PH is something you talk about in almost every science class ever so it felt good to have some back ground knowledge and feel a little more secure with a topic.

After spending the beginning of the week with pH if went back to chemistry and we started talking about organic molecules. We had to identify categories of biological molecules and look at amino acids, sugars and types of lipids. This is where I loose confidence. Working through this stuff in a group really helps and I feel a little better after class than I did going in to it. I’m still a little confused but to the point where I don’t know what my questions are.