Station 5 - These things are "Complicated"

Carbohydrates can also serve as structural parts. Yup you can really build a living thing out of sugar! 1. Plants produce what single sugar molecule though the process of photosynthesis (Hint: C6H12O6)

Plants then cans use this sugar molecule for energy orthey can stick them together into a rather complex structure that they use to form their hard cell walls (kinda like their skeleton).

Pick up the piece of wood or the branch at your table. If you look really hard, you can image that you are seeing the diagram above.2. What is this type of carbohydrate of what is its specific name?3. What do you notice that is different in the diagram of this carb vs. that of starch below? How are they arranged differently?

Starch molecule

Q #2 molecule

4. This molecule is also a source of "food" for us...or at least we eat it, even if we can't digest it. We commonly call this stuff "Dietary Fiber" and because it makes up the bodies of plants, we can't help but swallow some of this stuff. What complex carb molecule do we digest in the piece of broccoli or celery?

HONORSFungi and Insects use carbohydrates to build their bodies as well. They get the carbs by digesting plant matter and then using the carbs from the plants to structure themselves. Here is a drawing of it... 5. What element do you see here that is NOT in any of the other carbs? hint: plants that eat bugs are after this.

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