Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2014

Last exams 2024

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Skills: Visualising Carbohydrates (DP IB Biology: SL)

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Molecular Visualisation: Carbohydrates

  • Online learning tools exist that can provide visualisations of large biomolecules
  • Mouse functions can zoom and rotate molecules
  • Many of these make use of JMol software, a database of large molecules that can be visualised in near-3D
  • The differences between cellulose, starch and glycogen can be observed in close to 3-D quality
  • An Internet search for 'molecular visualisation software' will identify some good options
  • Features include
    • Loading multiple molecules to show independent movement
    • Surface topography; as many biological reactions are on a theme of 3-D shapes fitting together
    • Cavity visualisation; has applications when looking at structures eg. channel proteins in membranes
    • The appearance of atoms can be adapted to fill space or show gaps in molecules eg. the helical nature of amylose

  • Having a visualisation of these molecules helps to understand how they have evolved to fulfil their specific functions

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Phil

Author: Phil

Expertise: Biology

Phil has a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham, followed by an MBA from Manchester Business School. He has 15 years of teaching and tutoring experience, teaching Biology in schools before becoming director of a growing tuition agency. He has also examined Biology for one of the leading UK exam boards. Phil has a particular passion for empowering students to overcome their fear of numbers in a scientific context.