Teaching the Z-Scheme of electron transport in photosynthesis: a perspective

This paper deals with how Govindjee taught the Z-Scheme of electron transport in oxygenic photosynthesis at Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha, India, in 2014, in a unique and highly effective fashion—using students to act as molecules, representing the entire electron transport chain from water to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+). It culminated in a show by B.Sc. students in the garden of the Department of Botany, Ravenshaw University. The first author (PKM) personally acted as Ferredoxin NADP Reductase (FNR) catalyzing the reduction of NADP+ to NADPH, taking electrons from reduced ferredoxin at the end of Photosystem I. On the other hand, the Q-cycle was played by M.Sc. students, who acted as molecules running this ingenious cycle that produces extra protons. An interesting event was when a student, acting as a herbicide, who was dressed like a devil (fierce looking, in black clothes with a sword; “Yamaraj: The God of Death”, as he called himself), stopped all reactions by throwing out QB, the second plastoquinone molecule of Photosystem II, and that too aggressively, taking its position instead. The second author was the major organizer of the Z-scheme show. We provide here a basic background on the process, a bit on Govindjee’s teaching, and some selected pictures from the drama played in March, 2014 at Ravenshaw University. Here, we also recognize the teacher Govindjee for his ingenious and fun-filled teaching methods that touched the hearts and the souls of the students as well as the teachers of Ravenshaw University. He was rated as one of the most-admired teachers of plant biology at our university.