2013 Volume 53 Issue 3 Pages 83-90
To develop experimental teaching material for studying the process of storage starch degradation in plant seeds, we analyzed germinating seeds of various species, of which buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) proved successful. With our material, changes in glucose concentration due to starch degradation, as well as factor amylase activity, were easily confirmed by the urine test strip method and the starch filter paper method, respectively. The material is expected to be a useful teaching tool, especially for research activity, as students must first hypothesize the metabolic relationship between glucose concentration and amylase activity before verifying their hypothesis through experiments. The developed material focuses on glucose-based energy metabolism in plant seeds and therefore facilitates an improved understanding of germination from observation of morphological changes in seedlings to more advanced aspects such as seed biochemistry.
