Foodtopia classwork
Introduction to Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are a macronutrient found in foods. Carbohydrates or carbs, make up a group of chemical compounds found in plant and animal cells. Carbs are our prime source of energy and a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Carbohydrates all have the ratio CH20 which is simply the empirical formula. Every carbohydrate has the same ratio of carbon and oxygen to hydrogen, for every 2 hydrogen atoms there is one carbon and one oxygen atom. There are many different types of carbs such as monosaccharides which consist of single chain carbohydrate molecules containing 3 to 1 carbon atoms. Glucose, fructose, and galactose are all monosaccharides. All monosaccharides are reducing sugars. Disaccharides are two monosaccharides linked together by a glycosidic bond. Lactose and sucrose are examples of disaccharides. Polysaccharides are composed of long chains of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. An example of a polysaccharide would be starch. We obtain carbohydrates from food. All food is composed of three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Some foods contain one more than the other like turkey is mostly protein while bread is mostly carbohydrates. All of these macronutrients are calories. We consume calories through food and our bodies change the calories into energy. We use that energy to preform daily tasks like brushing our hair or cleaning our room. If we consume more calories than we use and burn off our bodies stores it as fat.
In class we completed a geometry lab studying the structures of different carbohydrates. We used scientific model packs that had pieces in it that represented different elements. Using connectors we were able to create a series of models including monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
Carbohydrates are a macronutrient found in foods. Carbohydrates or carbs, make up a group of chemical compounds found in plant and animal cells. Carbs are our prime source of energy and a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Carbohydrates all have the ratio CH20 which is simply the empirical formula. Every carbohydrate has the same ratio of carbon and oxygen to hydrogen, for every 2 hydrogen atoms there is one carbon and one oxygen atom. There are many different types of carbs such as monosaccharides which consist of single chain carbohydrate molecules containing 3 to 1 carbon atoms. Glucose, fructose, and galactose are all monosaccharides. All monosaccharides are reducing sugars. Disaccharides are two monosaccharides linked together by a glycosidic bond. Lactose and sucrose are examples of disaccharides. Polysaccharides are composed of long chains of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. An example of a polysaccharide would be starch. We obtain carbohydrates from food. All food is composed of three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Some foods contain one more than the other like turkey is mostly protein while bread is mostly carbohydrates. All of these macronutrients are calories. We consume calories through food and our bodies change the calories into energy. We use that energy to preform daily tasks like brushing our hair or cleaning our room. If we consume more calories than we use and burn off our bodies stores it as fat.
In class we completed a geometry lab studying the structures of different carbohydrates. We used scientific model packs that had pieces in it that represented different elements. Using connectors we were able to create a series of models including monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
Basic H20 molecule, one oxygen (blue) and two hydrogen (white)
This is the polysaccharide we made by connecting three of our monosaccharides to make starch.
Carbohydrate Lab
In class along with doing the hands on geometry structure exercise we completed a carbohydrate lab. We used a series of tests to identify the different carbohydrates in unknown samples. We tested for polysaccharides like starch in each substance using iodine. If the unknown sample turned blue, that meant it had starch in it. The next test was Benedict's test where the reactant was adding and if the sample turned orange, redish meant it was a monosaccharide and if it was blue, it was a disaccharide. In this case, the disaccharide was sucrose. The third test was Barfoed's which looked at precipitation and condensation in the test tube which displayed if the sample was a reducing sugar. The fourth and final test was Seliwoff's which determined if it was fructose or glucose, the most common monosaccharides. We conducted the same steps the next day but with actual food samples instead of unknown substances that only contained one carbohydrate. It was surprising to see the different reactions of one specific food. Like chocolate is comprised of multiple carbohydrates so you never knew which ones were going to react when. It made it very interesting and I liked being able to test all the samples every time rather than determining what they are after one result.
In class along with doing the hands on geometry structure exercise we completed a carbohydrate lab. We used a series of tests to identify the different carbohydrates in unknown samples. We tested for polysaccharides like starch in each substance using iodine. If the unknown sample turned blue, that meant it had starch in it. The next test was Benedict's test where the reactant was adding and if the sample turned orange, redish meant it was a monosaccharide and if it was blue, it was a disaccharide. In this case, the disaccharide was sucrose. The third test was Barfoed's which looked at precipitation and condensation in the test tube which displayed if the sample was a reducing sugar. The fourth and final test was Seliwoff's which determined if it was fructose or glucose, the most common monosaccharides. We conducted the same steps the next day but with actual food samples instead of unknown substances that only contained one carbohydrate. It was surprising to see the different reactions of one specific food. Like chocolate is comprised of multiple carbohydrates so you never knew which ones were going to react when. It made it very interesting and I liked being able to test all the samples every time rather than determining what they are after one result.
Carbohydrate Unit
Overall, I thought this unit was very interesting. I really liked learning about something that directly related to our lives. It definitely made me think about my own food choices and what I eat. The part that stuck me the most was when we calculated the different amounts of each macronutrients we would be getting if we consumed all our calories from one type of food. Mrs. Parsons looked at doritios and if she ate only that for her source of energy, she would have eaten 50% more fat than her daily allowance was. It was just very eye opening to see the difference in moderation verses out of control eating. I will definitely make better decisions in my own eating and avoiding processed foods, a regular apple is far superior to apple sauce. I look forward to doing more labs and researching about fats and proteins.
Overall, I thought this unit was very interesting. I really liked learning about something that directly related to our lives. It definitely made me think about my own food choices and what I eat. The part that stuck me the most was when we calculated the different amounts of each macronutrients we would be getting if we consumed all our calories from one type of food. Mrs. Parsons looked at doritios and if she ate only that for her source of energy, she would have eaten 50% more fat than her daily allowance was. It was just very eye opening to see the difference in moderation verses out of control eating. I will definitely make better decisions in my own eating and avoiding processed foods, a regular apple is far superior to apple sauce. I look forward to doing more labs and researching about fats and proteins.