The ammonium metavanadate (V + 5), widely used in chemical
industry is a toxic compound which is involved in several cases
of enzyme inhibition. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) a zincglycoenzyme
implicated in cell growth and apoptosis can be
affected by the presence of metals like vanadium. The main objective
of this study was to interest young students to the toxicity
of metals, exploring the effects of vanadium on the ALP activity,
using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as biological model. This activity
was developed by a pilot group of students from Dom Manuel Martins
high school of Setúbal, Portugal, which follow the yeast growth
at 640nm and obtained cell extracts from S. cerevisiae growing at
28 ◦C in YPD medium (glucose 2% (w / v)) in absence and presence of
25 or 75mM NH4VO3, for the quantification of proteins at 720nm
by Lowry’s method and ALP activity determination at 405 nm, using
pNPP as substrate. The young people observed a growth inhibition
of yeast cells exposed to vanadium as well as a decrease of
total proteins and ALP activity level, facts which put in evidence a
sharp toxicological effect of vanadium in eukaryotic cell. The average
score obtained before and after the experimental activity (41%)
and (63%), respectively, using the same set of questionsproblem,
revealed an overall positive performance of skills developed by
students, in the scope of metals toxicological effects in eukaryote
cells. In more detail, it was also observed a positive and significant
effect in each experimental phase (p < 0.05), before and after
the development of the action. The assessment of skills developed
by students showed an improvement of their compliance level,
thereby acquiring a significant learning. The results for the opinion
survey showed that most respondents classified the activity and its
difficulty degree as good
