Digestion is a fundamentally important process for an individual's life. However, the physical process of digestion is hidden inside the body, making it challenging to understand and a particularly difficult topic for students to learn in the classroom. Traditional approaches to teaching body processes include a mixture of textbook teaching and…

Given the present need for biochemistry and molecular biology educators to transform their courses into an online format, novel methods aimed at promoting student learning and engagement must be considered. Herein, we describe the integration of graphical systems modeling as a tool for introducing biochemistry to secondary-level students. We…

This article is a guided pedagogical approach, devoted to postgraduate students specializing in biochemistry, aimed at presenting all single reactions and overall equations leading to the metabolic interaction between ureagenesis and citric acid cycle to be incorporated into a two-three lecture series about the interaction of urea cycle with other…

This teaching article uses the report by Kwan et al., "Effects of methacholine, thapsigargin, and La[superscript 3+] on plasmalemmal and intracellular Ca[superscript 2+] transport in lacrimal acinar cells," where the effects of Ca[superscript 2+]-mobilizing agents in regulating Ca[superscript 2+] fluxes were examined under various conditions.…

The understanding of complex physiological processes requires information from many different areas of knowledge. To meet this interdisciplinary scenario, the ability of integrating and articulating information is demanded. The difficulty of such approach arises because, more often than not, information is fragmented through under graduation…

The present study represents a preliminary investigation designed to identify common misconceptions in students' understanding of physiological and biochemical topics within the academic domain of sport and exercise sciences. A specifically designed misconception inventory (consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions) was administered to a cohort…

The course "Management of Fluid and Electrolyte Disorders" is an applied physiology course taught using lectures and paper-based cases. The course approaches fluid therapy from both basic science and clinical perspectives. While paper cases provide a basis for application of basic science concepts, they lack key components of genuine clinical…

Describes a course, "Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry," for nonscience majors attracted to athletics. Outlines the lecture and laboratories combined with the lecture. Provides programs for daily exercise and weight training. (YP)

The following project aimed at promoting integrated and long-lasting learning is described for an Immunology course, but it may be adapted to other disciplines. Students were asked to develop and carry out a research project to examine the relationship between immune function and stress. The experiments were required to include the assessment of…

Adaptive chemical behavior is essential for an organism's function and survival, and it is no surprise that biological systems are capable of responding both rapidly and selectively to chemical changes in the environment. To elucidate an organism's biochemistry, its chemical reactions need to be characterized in ways that reflect the normal…

Describes how a computer simulation is used with a laboratory experiment on the synthesis of urea in isolated hepatocytes. The simulation calculates the amount of urea formed and the amount of ammonium remaining as the concentrations of ornithine, citrulline, argininosuccinate, arginine, and aspartate are altered. (JN)

Presents some of the basic information on exercise and diet to illustrate biochemical principles. Topic areas include: forms of stored energy; caloric balance, exercise, and weight control; a recommended exercise program; physiological effects of endurance training; and the biochemistry of running a marathon. (JN)

A method of obtaining a crude mitochondrial extract from sheep and beef heart is described. The respiratory substrates succinate and malate are examined as well as the inhibitory effect of malonate. An interface with a microcomputer for plotting colorimeter results is discussed. (Author/CW)

Describes the research efforts of scientists involved in discovering chemical transmission of the nerve impulse. The work includes that of J.N. Langley, George Oliver, Edward A. Schafer, Reid Hunt, Henry Dale, Henry Wellcome, Otto Loewi, and others. The discovery and the importance of both acetylcholine and adrenaline are also discussed. (84…

The yeast "Saccharomyces cerevisiae" has been used by human beings since ancient times for its ability to convert sugar to alcohol. Continual exposure to glucose in the natural environment for innumerable generations has probably enabled "S. cerevisiae" to grow in fermentative mode on sugars by switching off the genes responsible for respiration…