Animal Digestion Lab

Part 1 - Lion Digestion:

In a zoo, the lion is given beef to eat. One of the main macromolecules found in beef ooooo

is protein. The specific proteins in beef aren’t the same proteins that the lion needs
to help with their daily function. When proteins from the beef are digested, chemical
bonds are broken. The protein is broken down into its monomers, amino acids. The
amino acids then can be put back together in different ways to make new proteins.

amino acids
1. The monomers of proteins are: _____________________________

2. Even though the four proteins at your table look different, they do have similarities. Identify three similarities
between the four proteins in the space below.
1 they're all polymers
2 they all have 1carbon 2oxygen and Ihydrogen
3 they'reallmadeup ofaminoacids

Complete #3-6 and record the collected data in the table below:

Protein 1 Protein 2 Protein 3 Protein 4

# of Bonds Broken
(cuts) 19 15 115 14 Total Energy Released:

Energy Released
(kcal) 150 150 150 140 590
# of Water
Molecules Used
IS 19 14 14
3. Each box contains an amino acid. Your job is to break down and “digest” each
protein into their individual amino acids. To do this you will cut the bonds that hold
the amino acids together. Each bond is represented by a black line between the
boxes, or a corner. As you cut the amino acids apart, count how many bonds you
break and record them in the table above. Use the example to the right to help you.

CHECK YOUR VALUES WITH YOUR TEACHER ___________ (Teacher Initials)

If you are absent, videos of a teacher cutting each protein is linked in the chart

4. We know that for every bond broken, 10 kcal of energy is released.

a. Calculate the amount of energy released when cutting each protein into its monomers and record the
values in the table below. Number of Bonds Cut x 10 kcal = energy released
b. Calculate the TOTAL amount of energy released and record it in the table above.

590kcal
5. Did we perform dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis when digesting the four
proteins? How do you know?

We used hydrolysis ble we broke down

bonds and that releases water

6. How many water molecules were used to break down each of the proteins? Record these values in the table.
I watermoleculeperbroken bon
7. By breaking the four proteins into their amino acids, you digested the protein
in the beef the lion ate. Use all of the amino acids from all four proteins to
build four NEW proteins for muscle, collagen, fur, and cell transport. The
proteins you need to build are on the right side of the page. Be creative with
the shape of your protein! Insert a picture of each protein in the space below.
protien formuscle collagen
far celltransport

HI E
yes
8. Are there any amino acids left over from your original four proteins? ____________

143 pre gin and lie

a. If yes, which ones? ______________________________________________________________

Complete #9-12 and record the collected data in the table below:

Protein for Protein for Protein for Protein for

Muscle Collagen Fur Cell Transport

12 15 13
19
# of Bonds Formed
Total Energy Absorbed:

Energy Absorbed
(kcal) 190 120 150 130 550kcal
# of Water
Molecules Made
15 12 15 13
9. Draw a line between each amino acid to demonstrate the bonds formed to hold each polymer together. Count
how many bonds are needed for each of the new proteins and record those values in the table above.

10. We know that for every bond formed, 10 kcal of energy is absorbed/used.
a. Calculate the amount of energy absorbed when bonding monomers together. Record the values in the
table below. Number of Bonds Formed x 10 kcal = energy absorbed
b. Calculate the TOTAL amount of energy absorbed and record it in the table above.

ggokcal
11. Did we perform dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis when creating the four
new proteins? How do you know?
because we createdbonds
We preformed dehydrationsynthesis
which useswater

12. How many water molecules were made to create each of the new proteins? Record these values in the table.

I Per each bond created bybonds were formed

13. One of the proteins you built was collagen. Do a little research… What is collagen used for in our body?
collagen is in your hairnailsand skin Collagenprovides structure and strength
in yourbody

14. Complete the two statements below using the word bank.

Hydrolysis Dehydration synthesis Create

Polymer Cut Monomers

Monomers
a. When I break a polymer down into _________________________, I am performing

hydrolysis
_________________________. create
During this process, I use water to ______________ the bonds between
each of the monomers in the polymer.

polymer
b. When I build a _________________________ from monomers, I am performing
dehydrationsynthesis
_____________________________. cut
During this process, I ______________ and release water molecules
as I create bonds between monomers in the polymer.

15. What did you notice about the number of bonds broken/formed compared to the number of water molecules
used/made in each part above? Why do you think this happens? Your answer should include something about
hydrolysis or dehydration synthesis.

The numbers were equal Ithink thishappens because per I bond broken
Or created I watermolecule is used In dehydrationsynthesis one watermolecule
is used and in hydrolysis I iscreated

16. Looking at your two tables of data, calculate the NET energy gained from the beef the lion ate

590 590
____________________ – ____________________ =
40kcal
_______________________
total energy released total energy absorbed net energy
Part 2 - Elephant Digestion:

All organisms build proteins from their digested food to aid

in important body functions. Elephants are herbivores,
which means they mainly consume plant material. Plants
are primarily composed of carbohydrates. We know that
elephants and other herbivores build proteins from their
plant food to help their body function. This means that the
process of making proteins in elephants is different from the
process we used above to make proteins in lions.

Plants contain a molecule called cellulose that is very hard

to digest. To completely digest the cellulose, we break the
carbohydrates down into glucose, the individual elements
like Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), and Oxygen (O). We then use
these elements to build new proteins like collagen.

17. Do a little research… How is cellulose used in a

plant’s cellular structure?

cellulose provides strength to the

cell wall

18. Summarize the information above by completing the statements below. Use the word bank.
Elements Oxygen Hydrogen
Collagen Amino acids Carbon

I
Glucose Elements
Protein Cellulose

● Lions break down the ____________________

protien aminoacids
in beef into ____________________. They use these

collagen
monomers to build new proteins like ____________________.

● glucose
Elephants break down the cellulose in plants into ____________________ then individual

element's
______________________
carbon hydrogen
called ____________________, ____________________, and

oxygen
____________________. They use these elements to build new proteins like collagen.
Analyze the Cellulose Digestion Model on the page above. This shows a cellulose molecule from plants being broken
down and digested. Answer the questions below.

Complete #19-22 and record the collected data in the table below:

I 10 1
2 20 2
11070 102

19. Looking at steps D → G in the model from the previous page, draw lines to indicate where cellulose is being cut
to break bonds as an elephant digests. Record the number of bonds broken from each step in the table.

20. We know that for every bond broken, 10 kcal of energy is released.
a. Calculate the amount of energy released when cutting each protein into its monomers and record the
values in the table below. Number of Bonds Broken x 10 kcal = energy released
b. Calculate the TOTAL amount of energy released and record it in the table above.

21. How many water molecules were made to create each of the new proteins? Record these values in the table.

22. Did we perform dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis when digesting the

cellulose in the plants? How do you know?

Hydrolysis ble the bonds are

beingbroken

23. The chemical formula for one cellulose molecule is C6H10O5. Which elements are present?

O
Circle one: CARBON (C)
00
HYDROGEN (H) OXYGEN (O) NITROGEN (N)

24. The elements from cellulose are used to build amino acid molecules. The chemical formula for the amino acid
molecule called Lysine is C6H14N2O2. Which elements are present in the amino acid?

000 O
Circle one: CARBON (C) HYDROGEN (H) OXYGEN (O) NITROGEN (N)

25. What element does the amino acid have that seems to be missing from cellulose?

O
Circle one: CARBON (C) HYDROGEN (H) OXYGEN (O) NITROGEN (N)
26. The Cellulose Digestion Model shows only a small portion of a cellulose being broken down. A complete
cellulose molecule is typically 100 times longer than what was pictured in steps D→G. Using this information,
how many TOTAL bonds would be broken in the ENTIRE molecule during digestion? SHOW YOUR WORK

105 100 10500

a. How much energy would then be released from breaking down the ENTIRE cellulose molecule?
Number of Bonds Broken x 10 kcal = energy released

105000

27. It takes 110 kcal to create collagen. Looking at your calculated value in #26a, calculate the NET energy gained
from the cellulose.

109,000
____________________ – 110 kcal = 104,890
_______________________
total energy released total energy absorbed net energy

28. Looking at the lion net energy calculated (#16) and the elephant net energy (#27), what food source technically
provides more net energy? Why do you think so?

lion 40 Carbs absorb more energy blethem

they don'tneedto hunt for
29. If carbohydrates provide more net energy to organisms, why aren’t all organisms herbivores?

Bletheyhave different needs

Part 3 - Nitrogen Cycle:

Discussion Questions:

1. What are three ways that nitrogen enters the nitrogen cycle?

2. Who takes in the nitrogen at the final steps of the nitrogen cycle?

3. Can we use the nitrogen immediately once it enters the soil or atmosphere?

4. Who helps make nitrogen into usable forms?

5. Is the elephant then consuming nitrogen?

6. How do elephants use the nitrogen they consume from the plants?