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9th grade · Science · Unit 2 of 14

Biomolecules & Enzymes

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids, and how enzymes speed up reactions.

What your child practices

Practices the four kinds of biomolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids), their building blocks and jobs in the cell, and how enzymes speed up cellular reactions and are affected by temperature and pH.

Alabama Course of Study content standard: BIO.1; BIO.4 · the molecules cells are built from, and enzymes that keep cell processes working

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Four biomolecules: carbohydrates (quick energy), lipids (stored energy, membranes), proteins (work and structure), nucleic acids (genetic information).
  2. Enzymes are proteins that speed up reactions and are not used up.
  3. Each enzyme works best at a certain temperature and pH.

Example: Which biomolecule stores genetic information? DNA and RNA carry the instructions. They are nucleic acids. Answer: nucleic acids

Biomolecules & Enzymes in Alabama

In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 2 of 14 in 9th grade Science, after Cell Types, Transport & Specialization and before DNA, RNA & Proteins.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which element is found in all four biomolecules?

    • Iron
    • Carbon
    • Calcium
    • Sodium

  2. Question 2

    The part of an enzyme where the substrate binds is the…

    • ribosome
    • active site
    • nucleus
    • cell wall

  3. Question 3

    An enzyme speeds up a reaction by…

    • raising the temperature
    • lowering the activation energy
    • being used up
    • adding energy

  4. Question 4

    Plants store energy as…

    • cholesterol
    • DNA
    • glycogen
    • starch

  5. Question 5

    The building blocks of proteins are…

    • simple sugars
    • nucleotides
    • fatty acids
    • amino acids

  6. Question 6

    ATP, the cell's energy carrier, is built from a…

    • fatty acid
    • starch
    • amino acid
    • nucleotide

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