Physicsandmathstutor Biological Molecules

[Raina Giorno]

Biologyis the scientific exploration of the vast and diverse world of living organisms; an exploration that has expanded enormously within the last four decades, revealing a wealth of knowledge about ourselves and about the millions of other organisms with whom we share planet Earth. Today, biological research worldwide spans an almost infinite spectrum of studies from molecules to landscapes.

The study of biology has an immediate relevance to our daily lives. It is important for everyone to develop an informed sense of how we may individually and collectively continue to fit into the complex ecology of our planet without rendering horrendous destruction. Some of the greatest engineering feats of the future are likely to involve bioengineering projects, particularly concerning the disposal of municipal and industrial wastes and the development of renewable resources.

We follow the AQA Biology specification and this qualification is linear which means that students will sit all their examinations at the end of the course. At the end of Year 11 students will sit two examinations; each will be 1 hour 45 minutes in length and worth 50% of the final grade. Students can be entered at either Foundation or Higher Tier.

Why choose this subject?

If you are curious about the air you breath; what trainers are made of; how to make you own cosmetics; the chemicals in your prescription or the forensics used by the police, then this is your subject. You are interested in the very stuff of life. You are probably also ready to work very hard and manipulate complex scientific equipment.

Students explore the complex and diverse ideas by providing opportunities to develop a greater understanding of biological facts together with an appreciation of their significance in the wider world. Students will undertake a detailed study of the mechanics of plant and animal life, both in theoretical and practical terms, as well as the physical and chemical structure, function, development and evolution of living organisms.

Students appreciate that a knowledge and understanding of the principles of chemistry not only leads to a profound understanding of the natural world we live in, but also the man-made advancements we have made over time. Students will also understand the synthesis, formulation, analysis and characteristic properties of substances and materials. Students will recognise the complexity of different molecules and the composition of the world we live in.

Students appreciate how, through the ideas of physics, the complex and diverse phenomena of the natural world can be described in terms of the fundamental concepts of field, force, radiation, particle structures and astronomy, which are inter-linked to form unified models of the behaviour of the material universe.

Both are biological polymers (macromolecules) formed from glucose molecules joined by 1-4 glycosidic bonds.Both are insoluble: good for starch as it does not affect the osmotic potential of the cells in which it is store.Starch is formed from alpha glucose whereas cellulose is formed from beta glucose.In starch, glucose monomers are all in the same orientation, causing an overall bending/twisting effect in the shape of the molecule, allowing more starch to be packed into a smaller area (starch is a storage molecule). In cellulose, alternate glucose monomers are rotated 180 degrees, allowing for an overall straight shape in the molecule, allowing structural conformity and rigidity (cellulose provides structural support in the cell wall).Starch contains branching with branches joined by 1-6 glycosidic bonds: again maximises available space for glucose storage, maximising efficiency as a storage molecule.Many hydrogen bonds form between cellulose chains: individually these bonds are weak but collectively they massively increase the tensile strength of the molecule.

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