Transcript chains - TeacherWeb

CHAINS
By Arthur W. Siebens, Ph.D.
Chorus to the tune of “Chains” by the
Beatles
Chains-biology is all full of
chains
But they ain’t the kind, that
you can see
No, to see these chains
takes electron microscopy
Chains-polymers is what we
call chemical chains
Chains made of monomers –
chemical links
If your brain weren’t made with
polymers you couldn’t think.
Starch-starch is just a
chemical chain
Chains made of glucose, a
thousand links long
Repeat the same old bond,
never get it wrong.
Now plants store glucose as
starch-think they’re cool
You eat the starch, digest ityour small intestine ain’t no
fool.
Now you’re back to glucose,
you burn it if you please
If not your liver stores it as
glycogen, for your future
needs
‘Course glycogen’s a chain
(CHORUS) biology is all full
of chains
But they ain’t the kind, that
you can see
No, to see these chains
takes electron microscopy.
Protein-protein’s another
chemical chain
Made of amino acids, a
thousand links long
Repeat that peptide bond,
never get it wrong.
Now when you eat protein
from meat or baked beans
Your small intestine digests
it to amino acids-the
building blocks you need
Then your muscle cells use
them to make you strong
like Arnold
So remember next time you
flex, that bulge that makes
your shirt rip is made of
Chains-biology is all full of
chains
But they ain’t the kind, that
you can see
No, to see these chains
takes electron microscopy.
DNA and other nucleic acids
are just giant chains
Chains of nucleotides, a
thousand links long
Repeat the same old bond,
never get it wrong.
Now like the others DNA’s
digested in your GI tract, Oh
yeah
Then your cells can make what
used to code for peanuts
Code for you, in fact.
With similar nucleotides you
can also make RNA
It’s flexible, there’s no
waste, your cells make
what they need that day.
But they usually make
Chains-biology is all full of
chains
But they ain’t the kind, that
you can see
No, to see these chains
takes electron microscopy.
Lipids-lipids are usually
short kinds of chains
Chains of fatty acids, just
three links long
Attached to glycerol, never
get it wrong.
Now, distinguishing
triglycerides don’t take
much toil, no, no
If it’s a solid at room temp
it’s a fat, if it’s a liquid it’s
an oil
In any case lipids don’t
dissolve in H2O
‘Course waxes and steroids
are also lipids, but they’re
harder to know
‘Cause they’re not
Chains-biology is all full of
chains
But they ain’t the kind, that
you can see
No, to see these chains
takes electron microscopy.
Yes, to see these chains
takes electron microscopy!