biology discussion ***Zeek the Geek***

DANIEL:

Class,

As many of you know, Honey is the digested pollen of bees that has been secreted to produce an at home ingredient, served as a topping on cheese or bread, or used to treat ailments. What many of you might not have known is that Honey does not have a shelf life. The discussion below will explore this concept from a molecular level as reported by Compound Interest 2014.

Hypothesis: Due to Honey's chemical consistency, this ingredient is an essential at home remedy because of it's ability to fight harmful bacterial.

As seen in the referenced Compound Interest article, Honey is "something of an oddity... (that) doesn't spoil over time. In fact, the oldest known sample of honey found in Ancient Egyptian tomb was dated to approximately 3000 years ago, was still perfectly edible (Compound Interest, 2014)." So if through scientific study of Honey we can deduce that it is the chemical makeup of Honey that makes it invulnerable to bacteria and harmful substance, we can conclude that Honey can also be used to preserve a human being who has a bacterial infection.

The below graph shows how Honey can be chemically broken down from Sucrose (Sugar) into Gluconic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide.

The chemical composition of Honey and its' byproducts looks something like this (Compound Interest, 2014):

HO8O3

Hydrogen is a NonMetal with 1 Electron.

Oxygen is a NonMetal with 8 Electrons. Allowing Room for 2 Electrons on its' outer shell.

The Combination of Hydrogen and Oxygen create an Ionic relationship wherein there is room for one more Electron on the outside shell of the newly formed element (Chemistry of Life, n.d).

Note: The end result is an element that has the capability to pickup another electron from Water or something containing Water like Bacteria.

Essentially the chemical makeup of Honey provides the ingredients to take on Electrons form outside sources, thus creating an environment wherein tonicity exists to dehydrate things external to honey. This also explains why Honey has the capability to be incorporated into so many recipes as it essentially binds chemically with other ingredients.

Finally, since Bacteria are Organic organisms composed of proteins, enzymes, carbon, and water they vulnerable to Hydrogen Peroxide's ability to dehydrate another element. Therefore, Honey has the capability of helping an individual prevent a cold, not necessarily fight an existing cold as the sugars could potentially help with bacteria growth.

 

 

References

Chemistry of Life. (n.d.). In Concepts of Biology. OpenStax.

Compound Interest (Ed.). (2014). Retrieved January 19, 2017, from http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/08/21/chemistryofhoney/

DAVID:

My hypothesis is peanut butter contains all three biological molecules essential for life.  It is important to understand how these biological molecules are formed to test the hypothesis. 

Starting at the sub-atomic level, atoms are formed using protons, neutrons and electrons.  Protons and electrons have a positive and negative charge, respectively. These atoms stick together using a chemical bond (energetic reaction).  These are different types of bonds, but covalent bonds are the strongest and is what join atoms together. 

Molecules are formed when two atoms come together sharing the same electrons.  When molecules join, they form large molecules called macromolecules.  These macromolecules are what form proteins, carbs, lipids and nucleic acids.

Peanut butter contains all three nutrients that are broken down into their sub-units and enzymes in the stomach break the bonds apart.  The fats are broken down in the small intestine where it uses bile salt to mix and absorb it (“Peanut Butter & Digestion | LIVESTRONG.COM,” n.d.).

The main components in peanut butter are:

· Roasted peanuts

· C57H104O6

· Peanuts are a legume, not a nut. It grows from a plant above ground and are harvested across the world.

· Sugar - Sucrose

· C12H22O11

· Sucrose is a table sugar that is created in plants such as sugar cane. It is used in many foods including being a main component in peanut butter.

Source: (“The Chemistry of Peanut Butter - www.ChemistryIsLife.com,” n.d.)

Hydrogen makes up a significant portion of the macromolecule, containing 104 hydrogen atoms in roasted peanuts.

References

Peanut Butter & Digestion | LIVESTRONG.COM. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2017, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/463177-peanut-butter-digestion/

The Chemistry of Peanut Butter - www.ChemistryIsLife.com. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2017, from http://www.chemistryislife.com/the-chemistry-of-peanut-butter