Information Technologies for Biology Education: Computerized Electrophysiology of Plant Cells

Abstract

Biology has moved from a bench-based discipline to a bioinformational science in modern times but application of computational and analytical methods of informatics in it is still a problem for many researchers and students of biology. We suggest to integrate cost effective and practical combination of the real and the virtual laboratories into the undergraduate biological science curriculum. This laboratory work illustrates passive and active electrical properties of plant cell membranes while introducing basic principles of electrophysiological recording, data acquisition and analysis. As the object for investigation in this laboratory work large cells of starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) were used. The simple program for experiment control and express visualization of recorded data was developed. Experiment proposed in this paper is easy implemented with a minimum of laboratory equipment, materials and gives an experience of computerized biological experiment.

Using Plant Cells of Nitellopsis obtusa for Biophysical Education

“…Two pairs of sewing pins served as measuring electrodes. The e-Biol (ComLab project, Vilnius, Lithuania) universal data acquisition and control system (5,26) was used for signal amplification (10 5 3) and digitization (analog to digital conversion [ADC] 12 bits, sampling rate 10 Hz). Data acquisition system was controlled by a standard personal computer.…”

“…Because of their ability to generate distinct electrical signals, plants can be used as an alternative to animal cells for electrophysiological experiments. Giant algae of the Characeae family, whose internodal cells have often been called ''green axons'' (3), may provide the most simple, cost-effective, and robust model system for laboratory exercises (4,5). Compared with animal-based model systems, characeaen algae inherently bypass bioethical obstacles and naturally cause less emotional discomfort.…”

Innovation Adoption and Diffusion of Virtual Laboratories

“…However, several barriers to laboratory education have been cited in literature, including a lack of good teachers, sufficient reagents, instruments, apparatus, ethical considerations and practical skills etc. [17][18][19][20]. In this trend, virtual laboratory (VL) is the popular ICTenabled learning tool, which is essentially a computer-based activity, where students interact with an experimental setup or conduct other activities through an user interface.…”