A Low Cost Model To Facilitate Students’ Understanding Of Electron Transfer Chain In Toxicology Lab

Abstract

Mitochondrial respiration is a complex process which its biochemistry is often poorly understood by undergraduate students when explained in toxicology lectures. The use of experiments to reinforce their knowledge is important, but not always possible because of low teaching budgets. Therefore, a low cost model, made using water, oil, styrofoam and modeling clay, is presented here to simulate the transduction membrane, and the complexes embedded in it. Using this model, students can represent and understand electron flow and proton translocation, the chemiosmotic hypothesis and the effects of inhibitors and uncouplers. Students that have used this model enjoyed studying mitochondrial respiration and learned and understood the biochemistry of transduction membranes as well as lipid and protein interactions, and were well motivated to study the phenomenon in depth by themselves.