Biotechnology is responsible for hundreds of medical diagnostic tests that keep the blood supply safe from HIV and detect other conditions early enough to be successfully treated. Home pregnancy tests are also biotechnology diagnostic products.
Beano
Grade Level:
9-12
Thumbnail:
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Describe the effectiveness of the enzyme Beano®, a-galactosidase, in producing glucose from different beans under different conditions.
- Explain the properties of Beano® as related to their investigations and to real-world technology applications.
Relevant to ILS12.A,4b: Describe the structures and organization of cells and tissues that underlie basic life functions including nutrition, respiration, cellular transport, biosyntheses, and reproduction.
Number of Days:
4
NSES:
Science in personal and social perspectives
Interest Area(s):
Biology
Difficulty Level:
Daily Lesson:
Student Introduction
- Collect a variety of canned and dried beans and display them at the front of the room. Have students work with a partner to generate a list of concerns people have about eating beans. Ask students if these concerns exist in all cultures. Depending on the maturity level of the class, you might want to share the following quotes:
- “Passing gas in public was against the law in ancient Rome” (Liles, 1991).
- “At any given time, each of us totes two liters of gas in our gut” (Liles, 1991).
- “It is universally well known, that in digesting our common food, there is created or produced in the bowels of human creatures, a great quantity of wind” (Franklin, 1990).
- Brainstorm with students about the possible causes for the increase in intestinal gas after bean consumption and potential remedies. Review enzyme substrate and actions.
- Introduce Beano®. Have students read the label and determine what information it provides as to molecule classification or action. What are the claims of the manufacturer? Have them brainstorm ways that they could test these claims. If computers and web access are available, have them research Beano on the web to answer the role of biotechnology and scientific experimentation in its development.
- Show them Diastix. Have them read the label. What are the claims of the manufacturer? Some students may use this product for diabetes. If so, they are ready resource for the class. If not, have them use the glucose detection strip to test products that they believe have glucose. This should build upon the basic chemical structures of carbohydrates, i.e., complex (bean) to simple (glucose).
- Homework: Have them develop questions about how they could test the effectiveness of Beano under different conditions that modify the activity of enzymes, such as heat (previously introduced?) on the vegetarian beans using Diastix or another glucose detection strip.
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