Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy

1. Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy Environmental Literacy ProjectMichigan State University Animals UnitActivity 5.3: Explaining How Cows Grow: Digestion

2. Unit Map You are here

3. Revisit your arguments Think about what you know now that you didn’t know before. What have you learned?

4. How do animals use food as materials for growth?

5. Step 1: Digestion Materialsfor growth:Biosynthesis Food Digestion Energy:Cellular respiration

6. Constructing explanations Consider the following as you construct your explanation: Evidence from the investigation What you learned from the molecular modeling or tracing activity Three Questions Handout

7. Comparing Ideas with a Partner • Compare your explanations for each of the Three Questions. • How are they alike? • How are they different? • Check your explanation with the middle- and right-hand columns of the Three Questions handout. • Consider making revisions to your explanation based on your conversation with your partner.

8. Digestion: The MatterMovement Question How do molecules move to the location of the chemical change? How do molecules move away from the location of the chemical change?

9. Which atoms and molecules move when an animal digests food?

10. How do large and small organic molecules move when an animal digests food?

11. What happens to food that animals can’t digest? Our digestive systems cannot break down some large organic molecules (such as fiber). These molecules leave our bodies as feces.

12. Matter Movement • Do you have: • arrows showing large organic molecules or polymers (carbohydrates, proteins, fat/lipids) going through the small intestine? Large Organic Molecules Small Intestine Blood Large Organic Molecules

13. Matter Movement • Do you have: • an arrow showing small organic molecules going into the blood? Large Organic Molecules Small Organic Molecules Small Intestine Blood Large Organic Molecules

14. Matter Movement • Do you have: • An arrow showing undigested large organic molecules continuing through the intestine Large Organic Molecules Large Organic Molecules Small Organic Molecules Small Intestine Blood Large Organic Molecules

15. Digestion: The MatterChange Question What molecules are carbon atoms in before and after the chemical change? What other molecules are involved? Note: digestive cells produce molecules (enzymes) that can break large organic molecules up into small organic molecules.

16. Matter Change Name the chemical change that a cow uses to break down food: Digestion

17. Matter Change What molecules are carbon atoms in before the chemical change?   Large organic molecules (or polymers: carbohydrates, fats/lipids, and proteins) What other molecules are needed? (Water) What molecules are carbon atoms in after the chemical change? Small organic molecules (or monomers: amino acids, sugars, and fatty acids) What other molecules are produced? None Chemical Change

18. Digestion:The Energy Change Question What forms of energy are involved? What energy transformations take place during the chemical change?

19. Energy Change What forms of energy go into this chemical change?   Chemical Energy What forms of energy come out of this chemical change? Chemical Energy Energy Transformation

20. Telling the Whole Story Question: How does a cow get small organic molecules to its cells? • Does your story include these parts? (Check the Back of the Three Questions Handout.)

21. How can learning about cows help you to understand people?Using the Animals Matter Tracing Tool

22. Drawing arrows to show matter movement for digestion • Red arrow: Large organic molecules (food) go into the digestive system • Red arrow: Some undigested large organic molecules to through the digestive system and leave the body as feces • Green arrow: Blood carries small organic molecules from the digestive system to all body cells • (Optional) Water is also a reactant when large organic molecules are broken down into small organic molecules

23. What happens during digestion Digestion is almost the same inside a cow and a child!

24. Exit Ticket • Conclusions • What happens to the food that a cow eats in the digestive system? • Predictions • How do you think a cow uses digested food to grow?