KU /10
Unit 1 Lab: Macromolecules TI /10
Comm /10
Name: ___________________________________ App /10
For this activity, you will be using the following website to create macromolecules: [Link] - you will then insert the
images into the table below. Alternatively, you can draw the macromolecules by hand or with your preferred digital application.
K/U Mark /2 Communication Marks /10 KU Mark /8 TI Mark /5
Q1 Build a molecule of methane and insert the image below while filling out the chart.
Name/Formula Build/Draw Molecule What is the molecule’s shape, What is the polarity?
of Compound symmetry and bond angles?
Methane (CH3)
Shape: Tetrahedral
H Methane is non-
| Symmetry: High symmetry polar because the
H–C–H (tetrahedral symmetry)
bond dipoles cancel
| out due to the
Bond Angles: Approximately 109.5
H symmetrical shape.
degrees between hydrogen atoms
Q2 Using the molecule you built in Q1, replace one H atom with a C atom and fill any open bonding positions on the C atom
with H atoms. Complete the rest of the table.
Name/Formula Build/Draw Molecule What is the molecule’s shape, What is the polarity?
of compound symmetry and bond angles?
H H
| |
H–C–C–H Each carbon is tetrahedral,
Non-polar
| | symmetrical molecule, bond
H H angles ≈ 109.5°
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Q3 A) Repeat the steps from Q2 until you have created a straight-chained hydrocarbon containing six carbon atoms and
14 hydrogen atoms, which is hexane, C6H14.
B) Build another hexane molecule and place it alongside the first.
3a Name/Formula Build/Draw Molecule What intermolecular forces hold What aspect of geometry
of Compound hexane molecules to each other? makes these bonds
effective:
Hexane
Long straight chain
London dispersion forces provides large surface
area, increasing dispersion
forces
3b Two Hexanes
Parallel alignment increases surface
Stronger London dispersion forces due to close
contact
packing of chains
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Q4 A) Convert one of the terminal methyl groups (-CH3) on each hexane to create a carboxyl (see image).
B) Orient the two molecules so that the portions that form intermolecular bonds are adjacent.
Build/Draw Molecule Type of Biomolecule Created
4 Added
Carboxyl
cid Fatty acid
Build/Draw Molecule Type of Intermolecular Forces Present
4b Oriented For
Intermolecular
Bonding
Hydrogen bonding
Q5 Remove an H atom from the third and fourth C from one molecule. Replace these atoms with a double bond between the
carbon molecules.
Build/Draw Molecule Describe the change in shape What term is used for
caused by the C=C bond double bond in a
hydrocarbon?
5 Double Bond When C=C bond is added, it
loses its tetrahedral shape and
straight zig-zag pattern. Alkene
The melocule will adopt a
trigonal planar structure
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Q6 Remove the carbon-carbon double bond and return the molecule to its original condition. Using the two 6-carbon
molecules, add, remove, and rearrange atoms on both molecules to construct two straight-chain glucose molecules. Use
Figure 6 in section 1.2 (in the attachment) as a guide.
Build/Draw Molecule What Two Functional Groups Are Present?
6 Two Glucoses
Hydroxyl Group (-OH): Multiple hydroxyl groups are
present on the carbon backbone, making glucose a
polyol.
Aldehyde Group (-CHO): Found at one end of the
glucose molecule. Alternatively, in some structures, a
ketone group can be present, but for straight-chain
glucose drawn from this alkane starting point, an
aldehyde is present.
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Q7 Using Figure 7 in section 1.2 (page 30) as a guide, change each straight-chain glucose molecule into an alpha-glucose (α-
glucose) ring. You may need to reposition the hydroxyl groups to ensure that they are arranged above and below the plane
of the ring according to the diagrams. Then orient the two glucose rings so that the hydroxyl group on carbon-1 of one ring
faces the hydroxyl group of carbon-4 on the other.
Build/Draw Molecule
Hydroxyls
Lined Up
Q8 Construct an α 1-4 glycosidic linkage by simulating a condensation reaction between the two glucose molecules.
Build/Draw Molecule What is the name of the resulting What other compound
molecule? forms from the
condensation reaction?
Glycosidic
Bond
The name of the resulting H2O
molecule is maltose
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Application (10)
1. Refer to following image to answer the next questions:
A) What are the functional groups in the molecule? (2)
The molecule shown is glycine. The functional groups are
1. Amino group (-NH2)
2. Carboxyl group (-COOH)
B) Identify the R-group side chain. Is this group charged, polar, or non-polar? (2)
In glycine, the R-group is a hydrogen atom (H). Since hydrogen is non-polar and uncharged, the R-group is
non-polar
2. Refer to following image of cysteine to answer the next question:
A) What side-chain R group does cysteine contain? (1)
Cysteine contains a thiol (-SH) group as its R-group (side chain). The complete side
chain is -CH2-SH (a methanethiol group)
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B) Imagine a peptide bond is formed between the two amino acids,
glycine and cysteine; What functional groups would be used to create
the peptide bond? (2)
[Link] group (-NH2) from one amino acid (glycine)
[Link] group (-COOH) from the other amino acid (cysteine)
3. How are the bases paired within the DNA double helix? What type of bonding is responsible for the forces maintaining these
base pairings and the double helix? Draw a diagram to show your understanding. (3)
In DNA, nitrogenous bases pair in a specific way:
- Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T) via two hydrogen bonds
- Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G) via three hydrogen bonds
-Hydrogen bonds between base pairs stabilize the double helix
-Phosphodiester bonds link nucleotides within a single DNA strand
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Thinking and Investigating (5)
1. Compare and contrast the variety of amino acids with that of monosaccharides and fatty acids. Which group exhibits the greatest
structural variability? (3)
Amino acids exhibit the greatest structural variability due to their diverse R-groups, which affect polarity, charge, size, and function.
Monosaccharides show moderate variability through isomerism and ring structures.
Fatty acids have the least variability, mostly differing in chain length and saturation.
Therefore, Amino acid exhibits the greatest structural variability.
2. List some of the structural similarities and differences between transfer RNA and DNA. (2)
Similarities:
Both are nucleic acids made of nucleotide subunits.
Both have phosphate-sugar backbones and nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine).
Difference
DNA is typically double-stranded (forms a double helix).
tRNA is single-stranded but folds into a cloverleaf shape with complex 3D structure.
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