- Biology Thanksgiving Gobble Gobble Zzzz PDF

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Extra credit coursework for thanksgiving break. Hopefully this helps whoever finds it!...

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Name: ________________________________ Date: _____________________

GOBBLE GOBBLE ZZZzzzzz For years now, many people have claimed that after eating your Thanksgiving meal, the sleepy feeling that overcomes you isn’t just in your head; many folks claim that it is related to a chemical in turkey called tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are required for life. Tryptophan is an "essential" amino acid because the body cannot make it. Instead, you have to eat foods that contain tryptophan to get enough. You can also find tryptophan in oats, bananas, milk, eggs, peanuts and sunflower seeds. It is almost sure to be found in all common livestock and poultry. Besides making thousands of proteins, the body uses tryptophan to make serotonin, a key brain transmitter. Serotonin plays a role in the regulation of mood. Tryptophan’s sedative effects could be related to its role in the synthesis of serotonin. Serotonin also plays a small role in promoting sleep. Tryptophan is also necessary for making a form of vitamin B called niacin, which is important for the function of skin, nerves and the digestive tract. 1. What is tryptophan? _____its an amino acid, which also can be used to promote sleep._____________________

___. 2. Why is tryptophan “essential”? _Its an essential amino acid_because the body cannot make it. _______________________________

3. Which foods contain tryptophan? _________You can find it oats, bananas, milk, eggs, peanuts and sunflower seeds._________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________. 4. What is one theory as to why you get so tired after eating your Thanksgiving meal? ___The one theory as to why you get so tired after eating your thanksgiving meal is eating turkey will make you tired.___________________________________________________________________ _ ____________________________________________________________________. 5. Name two things that the body uses tryptophan for. ____The body uses tryptophan to make serotonin as well as producing a form of vitamin

B called nianci__________________________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________. 6. What is one possible explanation as to why tryptophan makes you sleepy? _Tryptophan can be utilized to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that aids with sleep.________________________________________________________________ ___. Tryptophan supplements can be taken for insomnia (trouble sleeping). These supplements usually come in doses that range from 500 milligrams to 3,000 milligrams daily. However, a 3 ounce serving of turkey contains about 200 mg of tryptophan — about the same as chicken or beef contains and significantly less than peanuts or cheddar cheese contain.

Additionally, your body strictly regulates the synthesis of serotonin, so ingesting extra tryptophan will probably not cause increased serotonin levels in the brain (recall that the sleepiness tryptophan may cause might be linked to serotonin synthesis). Another thing to think about is the Thanksgiving meal as a whole. How much people eat (not just of turkey, but the other dishes, as well), and what time of day they eat. When digesting food, blood flow increases to the small intestines to absorb nutrients. This may mean a temporary decrease of blood flow to other parts of the body, including the muscles and brain. Review the chart below. Graph the data by creating a bar graph. Be sure to clearly label your axes. Tryptophan mg per 3 oz serving Turkey

190

Chicken

160

Beef

180

Peanuts

210

Cheddar Cheese

220

Banana

20

Oats

60

Tryptophan Levels among Different Foods (i dont know how to edit to make the drawing, it wont let me!)

ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION 1. According to the data, which food would make you the sleepiest? 2. According to the data, which food would hypothetically make you the least sleepy? According to data, cheddar cheese would make you the sleepiest. According to the data, A banana would hypothetically make you the least sleepiest. 3. Do you think that the tryptophan in turkey is primarily responsible for making you sleepy after your Thanksgiving meals? Why or why not? (Does not necessarily need to be a yes or no answer!) No I don't think that the tryptophan in turkey is the primary cause for making us tired, I think it's just because you overate or what time a day it is when you're eating. During thanksgiving, you do eat a lot of carbs so I think that is the reason we get so tired!

You are a recent Harvard Medical Grad who is specializing in nutrition. You have finally received your big break- a guest seat on the hit television show “The Doctors”. You are there for their Thanksgiving Special all about the nutrition behind the holiday. The big questions they want to know are: Does turkey make you sleepy? Why or why not? Are there other factors that could contribute to the post-Thanksgiving-meal-coma? Use all you know to give them a solid, scientific answer!

Your Answer: _______Tryptophan is unlikely to play a significant effect in sleepiness, especially since the body regorosusly regulates serotonin production, thus eating food high in tryptophan does not necessarily indicate the body creates more serotonin. The tiredness experienced after a thanksgiving feast is most likely due to the fact that many people overeat, resulting in increased lood flow to the digestive system and decreased blood supply to muscles and brain. Not to mention that thanksgiving is usually held late in the day.___________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________....