Essential Molecules: The Building Blocks of Life

One of nature's greatest possessions, is life, and every part of life depends on molecules. Four common molecules are Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids and Nucleic Acids. Within these molecules contains part, or all, of the four major elements, Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen, (C.H.O.N). It is an essential part of life to have these molecules or their would be no living creatures. Molecules, Atoms, and elements are all apart of the body and every creature needs them. Out of the four molecules, comes carbohydrates. Carbohydrates among other molecules are built from the four major elements, Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. Carbohydrates however, do not include nitrogen, among others. There are also building blocks for each of the

This includes glucose, which is produced by photosynthesis. Fructose, which is the sugar found in fruits, and galactose which is a simple milk sugar. Another example of Carbohydrates is Disaccharides, this includes maltose, sucrose, and lactose. Maltose, is grain sugar. People who have celiac disease are allergic to this because it is from the grain, and the substance does not react with the body in the right way. Sucrose is table sugar, which is used on the ordinary basis or in restaurants. Lastly for Disaccharides is Lactose, different from Galactose, which is a simple milk sugar. Lactose is more complex, giving the people allergic to milk products the name, Lactose intolerant. The last example is Polysaccharides. This includes starch, glycogen, and cellulose. Starch is most commonly known from potatoes, and can be of great use in gluten free cooking. As for glycogen , it’s found to be of many glucose linked together and cellulose is simply a plant

All creatures provide themselves with fatty foods because lipids are important when storing energy for long periods of time. An example on how to test for lipids (or fats and oils) is to simply rub or brush the sample on a piece of wax paper and let the paper dry. Once the paper is fully dry, a greasy or oily stain will show up when paper is dry and held up to the light. Beef, potatoes, and other deep fried or greasy foods showed up well on the wax paper.

The third molecule is protein. On an everyday basis, people eat protein to stay fit and and grow in a healthy manner. Runners keep to foods with lots of protein along with all athletes such as dancers, swimmers and many more. The reason so many people depend on protein is because it helps with the building of cells. These cells contribute to the building of your muscles, keeping them strong and healthy. Protein is made up of Amino Acids, which are found in meat, nuts, quinoa, green veggies, and some beans. Eating protein is important for every living things growth and daily needs. To test for protein, the materials needed are a sample dish, Biuret's solution, and a dropper. Place a small food sample in a dish. Then proceed to add a dropper full of Biuret's solution, if protein is present, solution will turn from a clear to violet or blue. According to the tests, milk, and other milk products showed to have the most protein out of all the