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Biochemistry students’ misconceptions regarding enzyme‐substrate interactions
Author(s) -
Linenberger Kimberly J.,
Bretz Stacey Lowery
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.329.3
Subject(s) - substrate (aquarium) , enzyme , presentation (obstetrics) , psychology , chemistry , enzyme kinetics , biochemistry , mathematics education , biology , active site , medicine , ecology , radiology
Enzyme‐substrate interactions are fundamental concepts that span various topics in biochemistry and molecular biology (e.g., kinetics, metabolism, and translation). Deficiencies in understanding of enzyme‐substrate interactions could hinder students’ understandings of later concepts in biochemistry. Misconceptions detected during interviews with biochemistry students were used to create the Enzyme‐Substrate Interactions Concept Inventory (ESICI) in order to be able to efficiently measure a large number of students’ understandings. The ESICI was administered to N=707 biochemistry students at 16 institutions across the United States. Twenty specific misconceptions measured by the ESICI fall within five categories: enzyme and substrate characteristics, types of complementarities, enzyme conformational change, where and to what an inhibitor binds, and how the enzyme interacts with the substrate. Four specific misconceptions were selected by more than 37% of students, and 85% of students held misconceptions in three or more categories. This presentation will focus on findings from both student interviews and the ESICI of one of the most prevalent misconceptions, the role of shape and charge in enzyme‐substrate interactions.