Unit 2 Reflection

     In this unit, we learned about basic chemistry, macromolecules, and enzymes.  An example of basic chemistry we learned were atoms and how they behave.  We also learned that the four main macromolecules are carbohydrates, lipids, protein, and nucleic acids.  Lastly, we learned about how enzymes function.  For example, the productivity of an enzyme may be because of pH or temperature.  The unit question was "How does increasing molecular complexity serve as the building blocks for life?"  The main theme for Unit 2 was for biologists to get a good understanding about what is happening to molecules on a molecular level.

 

     In this unit, we completed two labs: the Sweetness Lab and the Cheese Lab.  The two labs tested the concepts we learned in our vodcasts.  The labs are a good way to understand how the concept works because it provides a good example about the concept and we can see the concept happen.  Only learning the concepts will not help as much as if we did hands-on activities and get involved with how the concepts really work.  During this unit, many of the strengths I had includes learning the material from the vodcast and apply them by conducting labs.  A weakness I had in this unit is that I did not understand the concept clearly, so when the lab was running, I did not understand how everything was working.  During the labs which tested the concepts I did not understand clearly, I did not learn as much as if I fully understood the concept so I could think about how the lab would proceed.

     From the experiments from Unit 2, I could have changed many things to make the next unit run smoother.  The first thing is that I could review each nights vodcast before coming to class so I understand the material well enough to run an experiment on that topic.  Then, the next day I could prepare questions for Mr. Orre.  I could prepare questions about anything I do not understand such as concepts and specific details.  If I come to class more prepared and knowing about the topic about the vodcast better, I can fully understand or understand the lab that is conducted because I know the material.  I think that I am a better student today because I know how to prepare for the next unit.

     In Unit 2, we learned about many topics and we only spent a little bit of time for only a little bit of the concept.  Instead of learning about specific things only such as enzymes, I would like to know more about the bigger picture so it could be more relatable to life instead of just a concept I learned in biology class.  I am interested in how enzymes and proteins work.  Since I am a boy, I would like the have a good amount of muscle mass during my young age.  I would like to know more about how proteins work when you do a workout such as weightlifting or just doing workouts with your body weight.  I would like to know what happens to your muscles during a workout and how do they replenish to make more muscle.