"What I learned about my body & the MOL" Melissa Louis Block 4

In the previous unit, I learned many things about the four molecules of life and water. The four molecules of life are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. I learned that each molecule of life has a different job to do in the human body. Proteins build enzymes, combat infection, carry oxygen to cells, provide structural support to the cell, and make hormones. Carbohydrates provide quick energy to the cell. Nucleic acids transfer and store information in DNA and RNA and also provide energy through ATP. Lastly, lipids provide structure, and make up cell membranes. Due to the fact that the four molecules of life are vital to stay alive, it's crucially important to eat a good healthy diet.

Fatty acids are the monomers of lipids. There is a difference between good fatty acids and bad fatty acids. It is an extremely good habit to eat plenty of good fats so your body can have the energy and structure in it's cells that it needs. Good fatty acids are known as unsaturated fats and bad fatty acids are known as saturated fats. The difference is that saturated fats do not contain double bonds between carbon atoms. Saturated fats are unhealthy and are an extremely bad habit to get started on. Saturated fats are found in products and processed foods, such as, dairy products, meats, pastries, and chips. It is important to steer clear of such foods. One the other hand, unsaturated fats contain double bonds between it's carbon atoms in it's chemical structure. They are found in foods such as, nuts, avocados, and olives.

As you can see in the picture above, the saturated fat have no double bonds between carbon atoms and the unsaturated fat shows a double bond between two carbon atoms.

I also learned that it is important to have a good habit of getting a good source of protein in one's diet. Proteins, who's monomer is the amino acid, are very important to my body. As I mentioned earlier, proteins build enzymes. Enzymes are used to speed up chemical reactions in our bodies. An enzyme takes a substrate, that has to fit the shape of the enzyme like a "lock and key" and splits that substrate into usable products and nutrients that our bodies needs. Without enzymes, the chemical reactions in our bodies would not occur fast enough to support human life. Due to this fact, it is very important to keep a protein rich diet. Foods that contain a high amount of protein include nuts, cheese, and meat products. 

Below is the enzyme reaction of it taking the substrate and forming products.

I learned so much about the vital importance of keeping a healthy diet. I learned good habits such as eating protein rich foods and eating unsaturated fats. I also learned bad habits such as I need to stay away from eating a large amount of satured fats. Lastly, I learned that I need to drink a lot of water so that my body can perform hydrolysis and breakdown the food that I put in my body. I learned many things about the chemical reactions going on inside of me and how the food that I eat affects how my body functions.