Purpose: To show the difficulty (low probability) of forming complex proteins by natural processes alone.
Age: 10-15
Materials: one die for each child
Procedure:
1. Have students count the number of throws necessary to come up with
a one on the die.
2. Have students then count the number of tries necessary to come up
with a one immediately followed by a two.
"Was this more challenging?"
Note: You may wish to plot the results on a graph with older students.
3. Have students count the number of tries necessary to get a one, two,
three sequence.
"How much more difficult was this?"
4. Relate the activity to proteins, which are long chains of amino acids.
Then ask them how long it would take to get a sequence of 400 numbers of
a row! God has to arrange it. It doesn't just happen.
Application to Creation:
Proteins are large complex molecules used as food reserves but of much
greater importance is their use as elements to construct cells, bones,
muscles, skin, nerves, blood, hormones, etc. They also take the form of
enzymes which are substances which make the complex chemical reactions
of your body possible. The complex structure can be altered and destroyed
simply by heating. This is what happens when you fry an egg and it turns
white. Try to unfry an egg!
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They are assembled
in a specific order in long chains like the cars of a train. Often several
"trains" are linked together forming chains 100's or 1000's of
amino acid long. Each one of these amino acids must be in the right order
or the protein might function improperly.
There are only six sides to a die. There are 20 different amino acids!
(Optional: Obtain a twenty-sided die to illustrate this with.)
It is difficult to role three specific numbers in order. What are the chances of getting hundreds of amino acids linked properly?