Analysis of Student Reasoning about Michaelis-Menten Enzyme Kinetics: Mixed Conceptions of Enzyme Inhibition

Autor/inn/en	Rodriguez, Jon-Marc G.; Towns, Marcy H.
Titel	Analysis of Student Reasoning about Michaelis-Menten Enzyme Kinetics: Mixed Conceptions of Enzyme Inhibition
Quelle	In: Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 20 (2019) 2, S.428-442 (15 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1756-1108
DOI	10.1039/c8rp00276b
Schlagwörter	Science Instruction; Scientific Concepts; Logical Thinking; Concept Formation; Biochemistry; Graphs; Undergraduate Students; Kinetics; Inhibition + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Biochemie; Grafische Darstellung; Kinetik; Hemmung
Abstract	Student understanding regarding topics in upper-division courses, such as biochemistry, is not well represented in the literature. Herein we describe a study that investigated students' reasoning about Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics and enzyme inhibition. Our qualitative study involved semistructured interviews with fourteen second-year students enrolled in an introductory biochemistry course. During the interviews students were provided an enzyme kinetics graph, which they were prompted to describe. Students were asked to look for patterns and trends in the data and interpret the graph to draw conclusions regarding the types of enzyme inhibition observed, providing the opportunity for the students to engage in the science practice analyzing and interpreting data. Findings indicate students were able to attend to the relevant parameters (V[subscript max] and K[subscript m]) in the graph and subsequently associate changes in V[subscript max] and K[subscript m] to different types of enzyme inhibitors. However, students expressed difficulty explaining why a specific type of inhibition caused the observed change in the kinetic parameters and there was confusion regarding the distinction between noncompetitive and uncompetitive inhibition. Based on our results, we suggest instruction on enzyme kinetics should emphasize qualitative descriptions of the particulate-level mechanisms related to competitive and noncompetitive inhibition, with less emphasis on discussions of uncompetitive and mixed inhibition in introductory biochemistry courses. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01