Your readings and lab assignment
cover biological molecules which are very large in comparison to atoms or
subatomic molecules and are referred to as biological macromolecules (macro
means "big"). Learning about macromolecules is important to understanding
living organisms. All living organisms are characterized by the presence of
four major classes of macromolecules: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and
nucleic acids. These macromolecules are often called the molecules of life. In
your lab you will be testing macromolecules. Here is your discussion topic for
the week: Imagine you are nutrition scientist and you are interested in a the
short-term or (long-term) consumption of a food (pick a type of food that
interests you). Choose a macromolecule that represents most of your chosen
food's composition.
The macromolecule could be beneficial or harmful in
nature. In your post please include the steps of the scientific method. You can
find them here: https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/387629/viewContent/15428115/View First,
start by coming up with a testable research question after
making an observation. Second, state a hypothesis about the nutritional content
of this food. Remember a hypothesis is an educated guess (and may be wrong),
and a good hypothesis is specific. State how you will test your hypothesis. Do
you need to make some sort of measurements?
Examples include body mass index, a specific blood
test, or a brief question about smoking status. You need to identify
independent, dependent and control variables.
How will you test all the information you
collected in your experiment? Sometimes comparing a measurement at the
beginning and ending of your experiment will indicate a difference. What are
your expected findings of your scientific study?
Please make a post by the end of this Sunday evening
and comment on two of your fellow student's posts. In your replies please
provide suggestions for how the other students' scientific method examples can
be improved or summarize the examples strengthens.
A reminder, you are part of an online community
and university policies in codes of online conduct are applicable.
Nutritionists may recommend
food such as fish and other varieties from the 'white meat' sections for its
nutritional benefits to people's physical wellness, among other foods, such as
whole grain. The macromolecule found in fish is protein, a common component of
all meats with varying ranges of protein molecules. From many previous
scientific studies, fish is considered a healthy protein, enabling short-term
and long-term consumers to build muscle, increase bone density, lower blood
pressure, and positively contribute to kidney health. Fish contains fatty
acids, considered to have omega-3, which contribute to the heart's proper
functionality, but its components may also negatively impact the human body.
Hypothesis:
Null hypothesis: Fish
consumption has significant short-term and long-term benefits to the health of
consumers' hearts due to its omega-3 components.
Vs.Alternative hypothesis: Fish consumption has no significant benefits to consumers’ health.
Hypothesis Testing:
Methodology: A
case-control study incorporates cases and controls for a particular experiment.
For this proposal, the cases will include people in a population who have
adhered to their nutritionist's prescription of using fish diets and fish
supplements. The controls will include people who do not consume fish for
personal or medical reasons. A retrospective study will be preferred to a
longitudinal study since the latter would take years before doing analysis and
making conclusions.
Variables: The
dependent variable will be the Body Mass Index, while the independent variable
will be the number of consumed fish units per week (which will estimate the
calories, amount of omega-3, and protein consumed).
Lab
tests: Body Mass Index and a blood test. The blood test will
specifically test the amount of omega-3, healthy and unhealthy fatty acids in
the blood and, therefore, the heart of cases and controls in the study.
Expected Outcome: Cases chosen
for the study have a longer life expectancy, healthy fatty acids, and required
BMI, which will determine their general body wellness.