Active Sites

Goal:
Create a model to explain the role of shape and chemical properties of amino acid R-groups in a protein’s active site.

Agenda:
Warmup
How do we smell?
Model Olfactory Receptors

Download:
The Role of the Active Site - This is a reading. Open in your preferred app for annotation (Notability or Google Docs)

Warmup
Create a new journal entry entitled "Active Sites."
Copy down WHAT we are learning today.
Log in to Socrative.

How do we smell?

Watch TedEd video “How do we smell?”

In your journal, write a hypothesis for the question: How do our olfactory receptors distinguish between different smells?
Read “The Role of the Active Site” and revise your hypothesis.

Model Olfactory Receptors
1. Work in pairs to create a model of olfactory receptors that meet the shape and chemical property requirements of the provided “smell molecules” (puzzle pieces).
2. Using your model, create a stop motion video to explain how the olfactory receptors work using the terms: functional groups, receptor, active site, chemical properties (of amino acid R-group).