Making glue from seeds and gums: Working with plant-based polymers to introduce students to plant biochemistry.

ABSTRACT: Plants and plant products are key to the survival of life on earth. Despite this fact, the significance of plant biochemistry is often underrepresented in science curricula. We designed an innovative laboratory activity to engage students in learning about the biochemical properties of natural polymers produced by plants. The focus of the hands-on activity is on mucilages and gums, which contain complex polysaccharides that have applications in industry. The 1.5-h activity is organized into three laboratory exercises. It begins with a demonstration of the water absorption property of seed coat mucilage upon hydration of seeds from psyllium, a plant that is grown commercially for mucilage production. The second exercise involves microscopy of a variety of plant seeds stained with ruthenium

SUBMITTER: Mukherjee T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6707524 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature