Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thurs-Day 1
Welcome Jericho parents! I was glad to meet you tonight and I look forward to working with you to achieve success for your sons and daughters in Biology and AP Chemistry this year.
Bio 3/6- we reviewed the four major organic biological molecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. We then focused on proteins, which have the greatest variety of structures and "jobs"/functions due to the fact that they are made up of up to 20 different amino acids in specific sequences that are between 50 to over 1000 amino acids long!
We saw the similarities and differences among the 20 amino acids and noted that the "side chains" of the amino acids cause the protein to "fold" or morph into a particular shape. A protein's specific shape gives it a specific function.
We then noted that proteins can only maintain their ideal shape in environments of a particular acidity; otherwise, the amino acid chain unravels/"denatures" and the protein loses its shape and can no longer function.
We then did a lab with acid/base indicators that have different colors in acidic and basic solutions.
AP Chem- we continued stoichiometry in our new unit that focuses on solutions. In order to calculate the number of moles of reactants or products in solutions, we typically will have to use the concentration and volume data about the solutions.
We saw how to properly prepare and/or dilute a solution in a "volumetric flask".
We will also be balancing equations by mass AND charge in this unit that contains many REDOX reactions that occur in solution.
Bio 3/6- we reviewed the four major organic biological molecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. We then focused on proteins, which have the greatest variety of structures and "jobs"/functions due to the fact that they are made up of up to 20 different amino acids in specific sequences that are between 50 to over 1000 amino acids long!
We saw the similarities and differences among the 20 amino acids and noted that the "side chains" of the amino acids cause the protein to "fold" or morph into a particular shape. A protein's specific shape gives it a specific function.
We then noted that proteins can only maintain their ideal shape in environments of a particular acidity; otherwise, the amino acid chain unravels/"denatures" and the protein loses its shape and can no longer function.
We then did a lab with acid/base indicators that have different colors in acidic and basic solutions.
AP Chem- we continued stoichiometry in our new unit that focuses on solutions. In order to calculate the number of moles of reactants or products in solutions, we typically will have to use the concentration and volume data about the solutions.
We saw how to properly prepare and/or dilute a solution in a "volumetric flask".
We will also be balancing equations by mass AND charge in this unit that contains many REDOX reactions that occur in solution.
# posted by C @ 5:54 PM 
