Acid-Base and Molecules Lab

Acid-Base and Molecules Lab

Part 1- Name that Protein!

Here are six different types of proteins found in the human body:

Keratin

Elastin

Collagen

Hemoglobin

Insulin

Myosin

What would happen if hemoglobin was exposed to an acid?

Some proteins, like keratin and elastin, are more stable and are not as sensitive to changes 

 in pH. Hemoglobin is a protein in our blood that carries oxygen to our tissues and is sensitive to pH changes, which is why our bodies do so much to keep our blood at healthy pH (it does this through using the buffers bicarbonate and carbonic acid, which take up and release H+ ions as needed). But if we were to expose hemoglobin to an acid, thus lowering its pH, it would go through a process called denaturation, where it would loose its structure (four polypeptide chains folded together) and be unable to carry  oxygen to the cells or carbon dioxide away from the cells. A very small change in pH is actually used by the body to help release oxygen into the cells. A lowered pH (more acidic) weakens hemoglobin's attachment to O2. As this more acidic environment exists in the cells, this facilitates the transfer of O2 from the more pH neutral environment of the lungs to the cells.

Part 2: 

Name That Molecule!

Molecule A: Carbohydrate---Sucrose

Molecule B: Lipid----Trigliceride

Molecule C: Nucleic Acid---DNA

Molecule D: Lipid (Steroid Group)---Testostorone

Molecule E: Protein---Keratin

   

WORKS CITED

Johnson, Michael D. Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues, 7th Edition. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print.  

Ruesch, William. "Peptides and Proteins". Natural Products. Michigan State University, 5 May 2013. Web. 6 Sept 2015.

Sinex, Scott. "Exploring The Molecules of Life: Protein". Exploring the Molecules of Life. BLT Project. July 2001. Web. 6 Sept 2015.