The Secret of Popcorn Popping
Water Power at the Cellular Level
Author(s)
Science Department
Borough of Manhattan Community College / City University of New York
lchen@bmcc.cuny.edu
Science Department
Borough of Manhattan Community College / City University of New York
rhendrix@bmcc.cuny.edu
Abstract
Focusing on the important role of water in living cellular chemistry, this case emphasizes the general solubility rule, "like dissolves like," which explains how water can serve as a medium for transporting the cell's soluble nutrients and wastes. The case covers how the different interactions between water and glycerophospholipids' polar heads and non-polar tails direct the formation of the cell's membrane bilayer, and teaches students that water is instrumental in positioning amino acids according to their polarities during protein folding. Also reviewed are the chemical reactions of water during photosynthesis, respiration, dehydration, and hydrolysis. The case has been used with nursing students in the second semester of a General, Biological, and Organic Chemistry course. It can also be used as a review of basic biology and chemistry for upper level students in biochemistry.
Objectives
- To emphasize the polarity of the water molecule.
- To highlight the general solubility rule: "like dissolves like."
- To reinforce the lipid bilayer basis of cell membrane structure.
- To explain how globular proteins fold into their native structures in water.
- To describe hydrolysis-a mechanism for degrading macromolecules.
- To describe dehydration-a mechanism for the formation of macromolecules from the building blocks.
Keywords
Water; general solubility rule; hydrolysis; dehydration; hydrophilic; hydrophobic; phospholipid bilayer cell membrane; polar head; non-polar head; macromolecular degradation; synthesis of macromolecules; protein foldingTopical Areas
N/AEducational Level
Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper divisionFormat
PDFType / Methods
Directed, DiscussionLanguage
EnglishSubject Headings
Chemistry (General) | Biochemistry | Biology (General) | Cell Biology |
Date Posted
4/12/2011Teaching Notes
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