Describes an experiment that provides a fundamental understanding of the kinetics of the enzyme papain. Discusses background, materials, procedures and results. Mentions analogous experiments that can be conducted with enzymatic contact-lens cleaning solutions. (CW)

Describes an experiment involving pineapples and gelatin that allows students to investigate the conditions that typically render an enzyme functionless, similar to the effect of nerve gasses. Discusses the materials, procedures, and results, drawing analogies to the effects of a nerve gas. (CW)

Discusses the feasibility of using fermenters in secondary school laboratories. Includes discussions of equipment, safety, and computer interfacing. Describes how a simple fermenter could be used to simulate large-scale processes. Concludes that, although teachers and technicians will require additional training, the prospects for biotechnology in…

Describes the secondary school system in Poland. Discusses the Integrated Medical Admission Test and it's implications for evaluating the level of knowledge on a national scale. Describes how new programs are produced. Discusses refresher courses organized for high school teachers. Lists several publications available to Polish high school…

Describes a chemistry laboratory experiment in which thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is used to analyze urine specimens containing metabolites of the drug tetrahydro-cannabinol, which comes from the marijuana plant. The materials needed to conduct the experiment are listed, and the procedure and expected results are outlined. (TW)

Interactive Biology Multimedia Courseware is an on-going project, with new titles continually under development. Currently, Interactive Biology includes 38 biological titles on CD-ROM for Macintosh and IBM-compatible systems. Each title deals with a specific biological subject and provides in-depth, comprehensive course material for the 9th grade…

Describes laboratory procedures, demonstrations, and classroom activities/materials, including rapid peat-depth surveying; leaf-flotation method for measuring photosynthesis, an educational game demonstrating basis of protein synthesis, daffodil phototropism; chromatography apparatus; egg white digestion, and chromatography apparatus. Also…

Describes a laboratory experiment for freeze-drying fruits and vegetables which aims to expose college students to the principles of drying and simultaneous heat and mass transfer. The experimental apparatus, procedure of the experiment, and data analysis are also included. (HM)

Analyzes undergraduate research projects in biochemistry and related subjects at British universities. Discusses the trend toward students doing less research as part of their undergraduate study. Reasons cited for this trend include increased student numbers and costs. (DDR)

Included are 30 science activities that include computer monitoring, fieldwork, enzyme activity, pH, drugs, calorimeters, Raoult's Law, food content, solubility, electrochemistry, titration, physical properties of materials, gel filtration, energy, concepts in physics, and electricity. (KR)

Describes a program which allows students to identify and characterize several kinetic inhibitory mechanisms. Uses the generic model of reversible inhibition of a monosubstrate enzyme but can be easily modified to run other models such as bisubstrate enzymes. Uses MS-DOS BASIC. (MVL)

Describes a biophysical chemistry experiment that introduces students to globular protein conformation and microcomputer analysis of initial rate data for the unfolding of proteins. Presents background, materials needed and methodology. Uses a visible spectrometer for analysis. Lists educational benefits derived from the experiment. (ML)

Determined the eating habits, attitudes, and physiological status of freshman collegiate football players who completed a nutrition screening survey and provided fasting blood samples and data on height and weight. Results indicated that as a group, there were no major problems in dietary practices and physiological status, though there was room…

Student performance in two different introductory biochemistry curricula are compared based on standardized testing of student content knowledge, problem-solving skills, and student opinions about the courses. One curriculum was used in four traditional, lecture-based classes (n = 381 students), whereas the second curriculum was used in two…

The technology now exists to construct physical models of proteins based on atomic coordinates of solved structures. We review here our recent experiences in using physical models to teach concepts of protein structure and function at both the high school and the undergraduate levels. At the high school level, physical models are used in a…