Insulin as a model to teach three-dimensional structure of proteins

• Autor(a) principal: Teixeira da Rocha, João Batista
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: Oliveira, Cláudia Sirlene, Nogara, Pablo Andrei, Schmitz, Gabriela Luisa
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista de Ensino de Bioquímica
• Texto Completo: http://bioquimica.org.br/revista/ojs/index.php/REB/article/view/741
• topic: 3D models; Protein; biochemistry education; undergraduate students; protein models; Educação em bioquímica; estudantes de graduação; modelos de proteínas.

Proteins are the most ubiquitous macromolecules found in the living cells and have innumerous physiological functions. Therefore, it is fundamental to build a solid knowledge about the proteins three dimensional structure to better understand the living state. The hierarchical structure of proteins is usually studied in the undergraduate discipline of Biochemistry.  Here we described pedagogical interventions designed to increase the preservice teacher chemistry students’ knowledge about protein structure.  The activities were made using alternative and cheap materials to encourage the application of these simple methodologies by the future teachers in the secondary school.  From the primary structure of insulin chains, students had to construct a three-dimensional structure of insulin. After the activities, the students highlighted an improvement of their previous knowledge about proteins structure. The construction of a tridimensional model together with other activities seems to be an efficient way to promote the learning about the structure of proteins to undergraduate students. The methodology used was inexpensiveness and simple and it can be used both in the university and in the high-school.Proteins are the most ubiquitous macromolecules found in the living cells and have innumerous physiological functions. Therefore, it is fundamental to build a solid knowledge about the proteins three dimensional structure to better understand the living state. The hierarchical structure of proteins is usually studied in the undergraduate discipline of Biochemistry. Here we described pedagogical interventions designed to increase the preservice teacher chemistry students’ knowledge about protein structure. The activities were made using alternative and cheap materials to encourage the application of these simple methodologies by the future teachers in the secondary school. From the primary structure of insulin chains, students had to construct a three-dimensional structure of insulin. After the activities, the students highlighted an improvement of their previous knowledge about proteins structure. The construction of a tridimensional model together with other activities seems to be an efficient way to promote the learning about the structure of proteins to undergraduate students. The methodology used was inexpensiveness and simple and it can be used both in the university and in the high-school.