Enzyme Man - Enzyme Kinetics
Concepts

Enzyme kinetic rate laws
Enzyme inhibition
Pseudo-steady state hypothesis (PSSH)
Michaelis-Menten kinetics 

Time

30 minutes ± 10 minutes

Reference

Fogler: Chapter 9

 
Description

Students will find themselves playing a game like PacMan with a computer controlled opponent in an interactive game with scored responses. The student must move "EnzymeMan" (the yellow character) around the gameboard while the inhibitor (the purple character) is chasing him. When EnzymeMan lands on a square with a substrate (color-coded pill shaped items), a question will pop up.

enzyme

15 multiple-choice, True/False, and fill-in-the-blank questions are selected from a pool of 27 questions, so the games will be different every time it is played. There are three levels of difficulty for the questions. Each correct answer will earn the student a given number of points; the more difficult the question, the higher the point values. The student will receive 5 points for a difficult question answered correctly, 3 for a medium question answered correctly, and 1 for an easy question answered correctly.

Also, the student will be able to move one extra square for an easy question answered correctly, 2 for a medium question answered correctly, and 3 for a hard question answered correctly. If any question is answered incorrectly, the inhibitor will move 2 spaces closer to the student. The game is played until the student answers all 15 questions or the inhibitor reaches EnzymeMan. 

enzyme

 

The students should go over the introduction and review sections of the module before proceeding to the interactive section. The introduction will give an overview of how the interactive part of the module is run and interpreted. The review section gives detailed explanations and examples of concepts directly related to Chapter 7 of Dr. Fogler's book and the questions included in the interactive portion of the module. It is essential the student be prepared once the interactive part of the module starts as the review section cannot be reached once the game starts. 

enzyme 
Grade Base

Based on point (ATP) accumulation. Student must receive 31 out of a possible 40 ATP points to achieve mastery of the module each time played.

Comments

Students have used this game as review material before an exam to ensure that they have a solid grasp of the basics of reaction kinetics. Some professors have also made use of it in recitation sections, inviting student volunteers to enter responses, then discussing any conceptual misunderstandings that might be discovered.

Installation 

(Run from DVD) (Install to PC Instructions for installing and using the ICGs are available.

Return to Chapter Nine