Drought is a major environmental stress factor that affects the growth and development of plants. All plants have to maintain the reactive oxygen species within certain levels for normal cellular homeostasis by means of their antioxidant systems, which can be classified as enzymatic and non-enzymatic. Plants under drought stress generate an excess…

This study explored the Rwandan secondary students' opinions on learning biochemistry concepts covered in the Rwandan advanced level of secondary school biology curriculum, and the reasons behind the difficulty of the concepts. In this research, sequential exploratory mixed-method designs were adopted. The sample comprised 195 secondary school…

Universities play an important role in society and in providing solutions for its problems. Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems facing the world today. Thus, universities are increasingly including subjects related to the environment and its conservation both in their educational and research programmes. Generally,…

These three biology songs can be used for educational purposes to teach about biochemical concepts. They touch on three different topics: (1) cancer progression and germ cells, (2) gene expression, promoters, and repressors, and (3) electronegativity and the biochemical basis of photosynthesis.

The use of external representations (ERs) to introduce concepts in undergraduate biology has become increasingly common. Two of the most prevalent are static images and dynamic animations. While previous studies comparing static images and dynamic animations have resulted in somewhat conflicting findings in regards to learning outcomes, the…

This practical paper describes a novel fluorescence imaging experiment to study the three processes of photochemistry, fluorescence and thermal energy dissipation, which compete during the dissipation of excitation energy in photosynthesis. The technique represents a non-invasive tool for revealing and understanding the spatial heterogeneity in…

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become an important tool in studying biological systems. One application is the identification of proteins and peptides by the matching of peptide and peptide fragment masses to the sequences of proteins in protein sequence databases. Often prior protein separation of complex protein mixtures by 2D-PAGE is needed,…

We present a novel laboratory project employing "real-time" RT-qPCR to measure the effect of environment on the expression of the "FLOWERING LOCUS C" gene, a key regulator of floral timing in "Arabidopsis thaliana" plants. The project requires four 3-hr laboratory sessions and is aimed at upper-level undergraduate…

The reconstruction of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is essential to understanding the history of the Earth and life. It is also an important guide to identifying the sensitivity of the Earth system to this greenhouse gas and, therefore, constraining its future impact on climate. However, determining the concentration of…

Much of our understanding of metabolic pathways has resulted from the use of chemical and isotopic labels. In this experiment, a heavy isotope of carbon, [superscript 13]C, is used to label the product of the well-known RuBisCO enzymatic reaction. This is a key reaction in photosynthesis that converts inorganic carbon to organic carbon; a process…

Studies of protein function increasingly use multifaceted approaches that span disciplines including recombinant DNA technology, cell biology, and analytical biochemistry. These studies rely on sophisticated equipment and methodologies including confocal fluorescence microscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography that are beyond the…

In this study the photoinhibition of photosystems (PS) I and II caused by exposure to high intensity light in oat ("Avena sativa," var Prevision) is measured by the emission of chlorophyll fluorescence in intact leaves adapted to darkness. The maximal quantum yield of PS II was lower in plants grown under high light intensity than in plants grown…

Discusses current biological research related to plants, including rootless plants, cellulose synthesis, plant identification in forensic science, and plant chemistry. Contains 19 references. (WRM)

Describes a multiple-choice instrument that reliably and validly diagnoses secondary students' understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in plants. Highlights the consistency of students' misconceptions across secondary levels and indicates a high percentage of students have misconceptions regarding plant physiology. (CW)