Introduction of Ultracentrifugation into the Cell Biology Curriculum

格林内尔学院生物系正在修订其二年级的核心课程《细胞生物学》。在过去，实验室由一系列独立的练习组成，在这些练习中学习重要的技术，但经验并不统一。我们建议围绕细胞结构和功能的研究进行一系列连续的实验，通过细胞器的分离使之成为可能。实验室计划从植物和动物组织中制备细胞器，以研究选定的细胞器的活动，如分离线粒体的氧气消耗，分离叶绿体的电子流，不同细胞组分的标记酶的动力学研究，组织和分化组织中的蛋白质多样性。除了一台超离心机和转子外，这些实验室所需的所有设备都有。我们还建议在四个高级课程中更新实验，其中超离心将用于制备质膜功能研究的馏分，质粒分离，病毒颗粒纯化和电子显微镜检查馏分。增加一台超离心机将使该系有可能扩大学生使用现代生物仪器的第一手经验。

The Department of Biology at Grinnell College is in the process of revising its sophomore-level core course in Cell Biology. In the past the laboratory consisted of a series of independent exercises where important techniques were learned but the experience was not unified in any way. We propose development of a series of sequential experiments unified around the study of cellular structure and function, made possible by fractionation of organelles. Laboratories are planned to prepare organelles from plant and animal tissues for the study of the activities of selected organelles such as oxygen consumption by isolated mitochondria, electron flow in isolated chloroplasts, kinetic studies of marker enzymes for different cellular fractions, organization, and protein diversity in differentiated tissues. All equipment necessary for these laboratories is available with the exception of an ultracentrifuge and rotors. We also propose updated experiments in four upper-level courses where ultracentrifugation will be necessary for preparation of fractions for the study of plasma membrane function, plasmid isolation, purification of virus particles and examination of fractions by electron microscopy. The addition of an ultracentrifuge will make it possible for the department to broaden the firsthand experience of students with modern biological instrumentation.