Missing Molecule Lab

Macromolecules fuel us.  They make up the food we eat, and our bodies break them down into the Monomers (small building block molecules) that our cells use to build, repair, and run the daily operations of our bodies.  We also get minerals and nutrients our bodies need like Vitamin C, Iron and potassium. When we lack those building blocks and nutrients, we can become sick. Undernutrition occurs when the body doesn’t get enough nutrients or excretes them faster than they are absorbed.  We can be missing just a few nutrients, like a person who never eats fruits or vegetables, or we can be starving, having little or no access to food.  A human being can only withstand a loss of 18%-20% of their body mass, which may take 30 to 50 days without food.  Death occurs between 43 and 70 days without food, depending on a person’s beginning body weight.  There are many diseases associated with poor nutrition, just not eating enough of a nutrient.    

For this lab:

Pick one food, Beef Jerky, Orange or Cheese. Do not eat your lab until you have completed your work!