MadSci Network: Biochemistry
Query:

Re: what are the molecules of pizza

Date: Thu Feb 12 16:02:13 2004
Posted By: Ed O'Neill, Post-doc/Fellow, Food Science, Custom Quality Systems, Inc.
Area of science: Biochemistry
ID: 1074207125.Bc
Message:

Basically this question is asking "what are the molecules of any 
biological material", the stuff of a lot of books.  The molecules of pizza 
are the same as molecules found in commonly used food plants and animals.  

Pizza crust is typically made of flour, water, salt, yeast, sugar.  Flour 
is composed primarily of a complex protein structure called gluten, along 
with other protein fractions.  The proteins, as is true of all proteins, 
consists of long chains of amino acids.  In additin flour has a lot of 
starch, which is basically long straight and branched chains molecules of 
glucose.  In addition their are various vitamins, mindrerals, fiber, etc.

Pizza sauce consists of tomatoes, salt, sugar, spices, thickening agents.  
Tomatoes consist mostly of water with a fair amount of sugar (depending on 
how concentrated it is), primarily monosaccharides.  It also contains 
fiber and red coloring compounds such as lycopene.  Thickening agents, of 
which starch is one, are long chain sugar linkage type structures.

Cheese is composed mostly of proteins called caseins.  There are a variety 
of casein thypes.  Cheese also has a substantial quantity of fat which 
consists of a glycerin backbone with three fatty acids coming of the three 
carbons on the glycerine molecule.  And like most foods cheese has a lot 
of water.

Meats are composed largely of proteins, similar to the gluten in structure 
but with different amino acid sequences and much different structure and 
functions.

In short, pizza has an incredible variety and number of specific chemicals.


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