Biology 101 Lab 3 Remote:

Macromolecules, Fast Food & pH

OBJECTIVES: After successfully completing this exercise, a student will be able to:
○ Identify the macromolecules that are common in a variety of foods
○ Know several functions of the macromolecules groups
○ Identify several internet sources where one can access nutrition information
○ The impact of food choices on your health and the environment.
○ What acids and bases are, which common items are basic and acidic, and how H+ and OH- ions change in
concentration in relation to the pH scale.

Introduction:
People frequently eat food purchased from fast food restaurants. These foods vary in their ingredients, cost, and impact on
human health. Much is known about the needs of the human body when it comes to the food we consume. Because all food
we eat comes from sources that were once alive, it should not be a surprise to note that the food we eat contains the same
molecules that cells are made of: Protein, carbohydrates, lipids (including fats, cholesterol, and others), and nucleic Acids.
Foods also contain minerals like iron, magnesium, sodium, and vitamins, like vitamin C and vitamin D. The human body
uses the molecules we ate for energy and for “parts” that can be used to make other molecules. Vitamins and minerals serve a
variety of roles. For example, hemoglobin needs iron in order to carry oxygen in the blood.

In this remote lab activity, you will have a chance to learn more about the nutrition and health characteristics of a fast food of
your choice. You will identify which macromolecules it contains, at the level of ingredients (i.e. tomato, lettuce, beef). You
will then compare the caloric and nutritional content of your fast food meal to the daily recommended USDA values. Along
the way, you will answer questions that will help you learn more about macromolecules and the role they play in living
organisms.

Exercise 1:
o Watch this Amoeba Sisters Biological Molecules video
o Read and answer the questions with the Case Study below.

This is a story set in a house under the “shelter in place” law during a virus pandemic. The characters are three friends
(Shrilanka, Tam and You). The story begins:

Tam: I’m hungry! I wish we could go to Burger Bills and pick up some french fries and smother them in ketchup, and a Big
Bill burger with everything on it!

You: You know we can’t do that, Tam, we need to stay home to help flatten the curve. It is so much safer this way.

Shrilanka: But how about going to the taco cart down the street? They have great plant based tacos and we can still
practice social distancing. And, I’m really craving something spicy! And by the way Tam, I really think you should start
eating more veggies and less junk. It’s better for the planet.
Tam: Yeah, I already know about your veggie ways. I know it is better for my health but how are veggies better for the
environment?

Shrilanka: Dude, really? Livestock are why the Amazon is on fire. I am too hungry to educate you right now, but I will send
you some links to check out. Besides, you will be learning about trophic levels in your biology class.

o For background about health and recommendations on food intake, several food pyramids can be found below.
Food Pyramid of the Traditional Asian Diet
USDA Food Pyramid – Match the size of the color to
what proportion should be in your diet.

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/   

Shrilanka’s Choice:
(double food pyramid from Italy) – Food choices
and the impact on the planet.

1. Take a look at each of the pyramids. Find two similarities and two differences and describe them below.
Please use at least three sentences (answer at the end of the lab).
Shrilanka: Hmmmm. I think I have an idea! We were just talking about daily caloric intake and nutrition in my health class.
We can find out how caloric and healthy our orders are today.

Tam: OK, I am hungry. Let’s order our take-out food and, while we are eating, compare calories and what we ordered.
Check out this cool website that has the ingredients and nutritional information for what we are going to order. Let’s order
our food and then compare stuff! https://fastfoodnutrition.org/

Shrilanka: Horray! Let’s order first and then look at the calorie counts!
____________________________________________________________________________________
o Answer these questions at the end of the lab:
2. What are the names of the 4 categories of large biological molecules are found in the food we eat?
3. Go to the Fast Food Nutrition site, click on a restaurant, and pick a food item that you might normally eat (if
none than just pick one). Click on the “Nutrition facts” box for any item on the menu. Scroll down to find
the nutrition facts food label.
a. Which one of the four macromolecules do you not see in nutrition labels? Why do you think that is?
(hint- the Amoeba Sisters talk about it in the video!)

The three friends choose their favorite “fast food” and proceed to order them. You will do the same, except that your
“purchases” will be virtual, not real.

Next Steps:
o Using the fast food item from above, scroll down to the bottom to find ingredients. Some do not yet list them. If not,
pick a different menu item that does have an ingredient list.
o Copy and paste the ingredients in the table below or type them in.
o You will hypothesize which macromolecule group each ingredient in your item comes from in the table.

Fast Food Item Name chick fil a chicken sandwich

Ingredients Table
Chicken (boneless, skinless chicken breast with rib meat, salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, spices,
paprika, enriched bleached flour [with malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate,
riboflavin, folic acid], sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, nonfat milk, leavening [baking soda, sodium
aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate], spice, soybean oil, color [paprika], pasteurized nonfat
milk, pasteurized egg, fully refined peanut oil [with dimethylpolysiloxane {an anti-foam agent} added]),
bun (flour [wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic
acid], water, sugar, yeast, wheat gluten, contains 2% or less of each of the following: soybean oil, salt,
cultured wheat flour, vinegar, calcium sulfate, ascorbic acid, enzymes, wheat starch, monoglycerides,
monocalcium phosphate, DATEM, soy lecithin, potassium iodate), butter oil (soybean oil, palm kernel
oil, soy lecithin, natural flavor and beta carotene), pickle (cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, calcium
chloride, alum, potassium sorbate [preservative], natural flavors [dill emulsion], polysorbate 80, yellow
5, blue 1).
 Ingredient Name Primary macromolecule in this
ingredient (if two, write them both)
chicken Example: Protein
bread fat,bars

pickle carbs

5. Look back to the Nutrition facts food label for your item and fill in the table below:

Total % of daily allowance

Total Calories 440
Total Fat 17g 26%
Total Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Total Sodium 1400mg 58%
Total Protein 29g 58%

6. If you ate this item for 3 meals (for the day), would you be over your allocated % in any category in
the table? If so, which categories? Based on this, do you think most fast food is healthy? Why or
why not? Answer with two sentences or more.
Yeah If i ate this three times a day It would be a lot of sodium and lots of fat that is being consumed
especially if you got fries with the meal.

7. Based on an educated guess (no need to look in the internet, just an opinion question), which of the
categories listed in #2 are associated with heart disease? What about high blood pressure?

Cholesterol and sodium the high blood pressure would be the FAT
Exercise 2: pH

Introduction:
You probably have heard the term acid or base before this lab. pH is a measurement that describes how many H+
ions and OH- ions are present in a solution. At a pH of 7, the concentration of H+ and OH- are almost equal and
fairly low. Below pH 7, H+ ions increase (these are acids) and above pH 7, H+ ions decrease and OH- ions
increase (these are bases). The pH scale begins with 0 and ends with 14. For every change in pH, for example,
from 6 to 5, there is a 10 fold change to H+ ions (in this case they increase 10 times). Why does this matter,
anyway? Because H+ and OH- are really reactive (they can rip DNA and destroy enzymes and proteins). So our
bodies operate within very tight pH levels. Your blood, for example, remains at a pH of about 7.35 to 7.45. If it
becomes more acidic (acidosis) or basic (alkalosis) for very long, you will either get sick or die. So pH is
important to life!

o Click on the link below for the PhET “pH scale” Simulation:
o pH Scale

o Macro Investigation: Click on the “Macro” box.

Substance pH acid/base
Drain cleaner 13.0 basic
Hand soap 10.0 basic
Blood 7.40 basic
Spit 7.40 basic
Milk 6.50 acid
Chicken Soup 5.80 acid
Coffee 5.00 acid
Orange Juice 3.50 acid
Soda Pop 2.50 acid
Vomit 2.0 acid
Battery Acid 1.0 acid

o Try the simulation!

o Investigate the pH of each of the following substances.
o Drag the pH sensor into the solution to see the pH reading.
o Record the pH of the substance and whether the
 o substance falls into the acid or base end of the pH scale in the box to the right.

o To change the substance simply select from the drop down menu.

o Now add the pH values for each substance in your box to the pH scale below (based on their pH values).

o Using the information from the chart and simulation answer the following questions:
1. What pH values correspond to acids?
under 7.0
2. Which substance was most acidic?
0
3. Which substance was most basic?

14
 End of lab questions and checklist

Questions from lab 3 and lab checklist (to make sure you completed the lab):
Exercise 1:

1. Take a look at each of the pyramids. Find two similarities and two differences and describe them
below. Please use at least three sentences (answer at the end of the lab).
The difference is that fruits and veggies aren’t at the very bottom of the pyramid. A similarity is that meat is
on the top of the pyramid.

2. What are the names of the 4 categories of large biological molecules are found in the food we eat?
Carbohydrates,Lipids,proteins, and nucleic acids

3. Go to the Fast Food Nutrition site, click on a restaurant, and pick a food item that you might normally
eat (if none than just pick one). Click on the “Nutrition facts” box for any item on the menu. Scroll
down to find the nutrition facts food label.
o Which one of the four macromolecules do you not see in nutrition labels? Why do you think
that is? (hint- the Amoeba Sisters talk about it in the video!)
4. Fill in the Ingredients Table and the Nutrition Facts Table in the lab (#5).
5. Answer question 6 and 7 in the lab.
Exercise 2: pH
o Read the Intro and find the website. Fill in the pH table on the right side of the page

o Fill in the pH scale with the table values

o Answer questions 1-3 in the lab.

Take the Lab Quiz for the week. It will cover macromolecules (exercise 1) and pH (exercise 2).