Biochemical films and videotapes: The Determination of the Structure of a Dipeptide 9 min Black and White Videotape, 1975. Video cassette; Philips VCR or Sony U-matic or National Panasonic. Videotape reel: IVC 1 in. Hire or sale from University of Glasgow
✍ Scribed by Coggins, J. R.
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1978
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 135 KB
- Volume
- 6
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0307-4412
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
This videotape, like that on the Microbioassay of Hormones, constituted a lecture in the University of London series entitled 'Scientific Basis of Medicine'. Only an extract was screened and although the tape is in colour, the performance was in black and white.
The lecture is given by Dr. Helen Muir of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, and begins by briefly summarising the proportions of collagen and proteoglycans in various tissues, followed by a brief mention of the four types of collagen.
She defines the role of cartilage as not only in reducing friction, but also in distributing stress over a wider area of bone. She shows how collagen forms a network filled with entrapped proteoglycan molecules; the mesh is random but becomes orientated on loading. Cartilage is 70% water and the proteoglycan resists movement of this water when loaded. There is a good correlation between proteoglycan content and compressive stiffness whilst collagen content correlates with tensile stiffness. The molecular structure of proteoglycans is also described.
Despite the title and the high standing of the lecturer, the overall performance was a little disappointing. A prior detailed understanding of the biochemistry of connective tissue macromolecules is essential if the significance of the tape is to be fully appreciated. Nevertheless, the material was up-to-date and included concepts as yet not readily available in text books.
A 'live' lecture on this topic however would have been far more valuable, with the short sequences showing the effect of stress on bone and cartilage utilized as film loops. The overall quality of the performance was somewhat below the standard one tends to expect from a videotape, this being augmented by the lecturer's slightly nervous delivery.
The tape could be of use for medical classes but would be better shown in conjunction with a laboratory class or self instruction period, than as part of a formal lecture course.