The Krebs Cycle Card Game and Other Diversions

Virginia S Berg1 and Ira Simet2

1Department of Biology2Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Northern IowaCedar Falls IA 50614 USAbergv@uni.edu

Copies of the card game suitable for printing can be downloaded at

www.uni.edu/berg

The whole game in a plastic bag—complete with instructions.

The printed cards—cut along the lines.

Another way to play the game: with the program Inspiration (Inspiration Software, USA)

AFTER: The student has arranged the cycle. The level of detail is up to the instructor. The cycle could be in place at the start, for instance, with the enzymes to be put in place by the student. Items can be supplied by the instructor or by the student, depending on the level of knowledge expected.

oxaloacetate

malate

fumarate

succinatesuccinyl CoA

2-oxoglutarate=α-ketoglutarate

citrate

isocitrate

acetyl CoA

coenzyme A

coenzyme A

coenzyme A

NA

D M

j+ p

icks M

j

up 2

H fro

m M

j

outs

ide the M

j

cycle

-->

M

j

NA

DH

M

j +

M

j

+ H

+ M

j

ADP picks Mjup P --> ATP Mjas Mjsuccinate Mj Mj

is made Mj

NA

D

Mj

+ pi

cks

M

jup

2 H

-->

M

jN

AD

H

Mj

+

Mj

+ H

+ M

j

NA

D M

j+ p

icks Mj

up 2

H -->

Mj

NA

DH

Mj

+ M

j

+ H

+ M

j

carbon dioxide

carbon dioxide

H2O

H2O

FAD picks Mjup 2 H --> Mj

FADH2 Mj

The reverse sides of the

compound cards

give the structure of the

compounds.

BEFORE: The student starts with instructor-given set of compounds, and forms them into the cycle. Files that contain these images are found at the download site at www.uni.edu/berg.

There are many ways to display items, including names with notes that become visible when requested. The graphic images and labels can be copied and pasted among formats.

Chemical reactions are one possible area for students to explore, but they can also build concept maps (starting with instructor-provided labels), where students connect ideas and processes, and explain how they are related.