Unit 2 Reflection

Unit 2 was all about molecules and their forms. Also we learned about the pH scale and why some things acidic and others are basic. Finally we learned about the four main macro molecules along with the basics of enzymes. When learning about molecules, we first learned about the basic unit of matter, the atom. From there we expanded to molecules and how these atoms can make bonds with each other. We learned about covalent bonds and ionic bonds and how these differ from each other. Next we learned about the pH scale, which is a scale based on the amount of H+ a solution has. The pH scale is a scale between 1-14 with 1 being very acidic and 14 being very basic. Moving on, we learned about the structure and functions of the 4 big macro molecules, which are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates have a ring shaped structure made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbs are used mainly for energy and plants use them to build cell walls and for energy storage. Lipids are made up of amino acids, which consist of chains of hydrophollic and hydrophobic which are phosolipids. Lipids main function is for energy storage. Next we have Proteins which are made up of chained up amino acids. Their function is to support the body, help cells communicate, speed up chemical reactions and to let things in and out of cell membranes. Nucleic Acids are made up of nucleotides, which are sugars, bases, and phosphates. Their function is that they are the source of info of our characteristics. Finally we learned about enzymes and activation energy. Enzymes are biological catalysts that help speed up the process of chemical reactions by decreasing the activation energy needed to proceed with the reaction. Also, we learned about activation energy and how enzymes affect the amount of activation energy needed for a chemical reaction. My strength for this unit was the 4 big macromolecules because of the fact that I learnt about the macromolecules before. A weakness that I had was the concept of polar and nonpolar.
Lipid Structure
Carbohydrate StructureProtein Structure
Nucleic Acid Structure