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Using analogy role‐play activity in an undergraduate biology classroom to show central dogma revision
Author(s) -
Takemura Masaharu,
Kurabayashi Mario
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
biochemistry and molecular biology education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.34
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1539-3429
pISSN - 1470-8175
DOI - 10.1002/bmb.20803
Subject(s) - analogy , transcription (linguistics) , biology , transfer rna , messenger rna , translation (biology) , protein subunit , synthetic biology , gene , computational biology , genetics , rna , epistemology , philosophy , linguistics
For the study of biology in an undergraduate classroom, a classroom exercise was developed: an analogy role‐play to learn mechanisms of gene transcription and protein translation (central dogma). To develop the central dogma role‐play exercise, we made DNA and mRNA using paper sheets, tRNA using a wire dress hanger, and amino acids using Lego® blocks (Lego System A/S, Denmark). Students were studying in the course of mathematics, physics, or chemistry, so biology was not among their usual studies. In this exercise, students perform the central dogma role‐play and respectively act out nuclear matrix proteins, a transcription factor, an RNA polymerase II, an mRNA transport protein, nuclear pore proteins, a large ribosomal subunit, a small ribosomal subunit, and several amino‐acyl tRNA synthetases. Questionnaire results obtained after the activity show that this central dogma role‐play analogy holds student interest in the practical molecular biological processes of transcription and translation. © 2014 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(4):351–356, 2014.