Application of Hexose Equal Division in The Teaching of Glycolysis
Glycolysis is a fundamental topic in the biochemistry curriculum,pivotal for understanding glucose metabolism,and it stands as a challenging subject in various life science disciplines,including microbiology,marine biology,zoology,cell biology,and bioengineering.The process of glycolysis encompasses 10 successive reactions,involving numerous enzymes and intermediate metabolites,making it a complex pathway that both consumes and generates energy(ATP).Over the past decades,and continuing to the present,the standard pedagogical approach has been to explain glycolysis step by step,a method known as the sequential teaching method,which has not yielded optimal educational outcomes.In this paper,we introduce an innovative teaching strategy that frames the overall reaction of glycolysis as the division of one molecule(6C)of glucose into two molecules(3C)of pyruvate.To achieve the equal division of the hexose molecule,a phosphate group is added to both the head(C1)and tail(C6)of the hexose carbon chain,resulting in the formation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate.A critical chemical bond breakage at the center of the molecule(C3-C4)then occurs,yielding two molecules of phosphorylated aldose.The subsequent five reactions involve a series of steps,including the transfer of phosphate groups,culminating in the production of pyruvate from phosphorylated aldose.This novel education approach,which begins with the concept of"equal division of the hexose carbon chain",is termed the"hexose equal division"teaching method.Graduate(n=63)and undergraduate(n=39)students were enrolled in a teaching research study where glycolysis was taught using the"hexose equal division"method,followed by a questionnaire survey.The results showed that before receiving the"hexose equal division"teaching,students found it challenging to grasp and retain the steps of glycolysis,with the reactions being prone to be forgotten after memorization.However,after employing the"hexose equal division"teaching method,the majority of graduate students reported that glycolysis steps became more comprehensible and easier to recall compared to the"sequential teaching method"used during their undergraduate studies.This same approach was applied to undergraduate students,and a statistical analysis revealed no significant difference(P＞0.05)in outcome between the two groups.Consequently,the"hexose equal division"teaching method has been shown to enhance students'understanding of the glycolysis mechanism,aid in memorization,and encourage independent thinking,thus leading to improved learning outcomes.
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