Photosynthesis: A lesson in senior high school biology, including RuBisCO detection

Abstract

Chromatography has been widely used in senior high school biology classes, to separate and detect photosynthetic pigments. In our school, other experiments have been performed, including observing an absorption spectrum using a direct-view spectroscope, carbon dioxide absorption, and oxygen emission using gas detector tubes. Along with the abovementioned experiments, we focused on ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, a major protein involved in the dark reaction of photosynthesis. Therefore, the lesson was constituted and practiced so that students could easily separate and detect ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase from a spinach extract using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.