Lab 4: Uptake Kinetics — Michaelis-Menten

Authors

Affiliation

A. J. Smit

University of the Western Cape

A. J. Smit

Published

2026/10/07

Keywords

Nutrient uptake, Michaelis-Menten kinetics, Algal nutrition

This Lab Accompanies the Following Lecture

Slides: Nutrient Uptake Kinetics (on iKamva under Module Resources)
Reading: Lecture 9b: Uptake Kinetics — Michaelis-Menten

Additional Reading

Paper: Smit (2002)

Data for This Lab

Nutrient uptake data for Lab 4

Date

Lab Date: Monday, 2 November 2026, 13:30–17:10
Assignment Due: Monday, 9 November 2026, 08:00 on iKamva
Self-assessment Due (if applicable): Monday, 9 November 2026, 23:59 on iKamva

Complete this Lab individually. The dates above follow the module timetable.

Pre-Lab

Read this lab and contextualise within the pertinent material in your text.

Post-Lab

Upload your completed spreadsheet and MS Word document to iKamva by 08:00 on Monday, 9 November 2026. This requirement applies to both pre-assessed and self-assessed submissions.

If this Lab is self-assessed, use the model answer or rubric provided after the assignment deadline to mark your submitted work. Upload the completed self-assessment to iKamva by 23:59 on the same day. See the Lab submission and self-assessment policy for the checking and penalty rules.

Task

In this practical, we will practice uptake kinetics calculations that plant biologists interested in nutrient uptake might encounter.

Please read the pertinent theory material in your text and listen to my recorded lectures. The relevant section dealing with the rate calculations is in the PDF slides from under the heading “Uptake kinetics experiments” to the end of “Michaelis-Menten,” but other material in the slides appears elsewhere in the document.

Instructions

You may complete the assignment in your own time.

As part of the results presented in a properly formatted MS Word document, I would like to see:

Graphs illustrating the depletion of nutrients over time.
All calculations in the spreadsheet in the columns where ‘???’ is indicated.
$V$ versus $[S]$ plots.
Estimates for $V_{max}$, $K_s$ and $\alpha$
- you can either derive them from the $V$ versus $[S]$ plot
- or, for extra credit, apply the Michaelis-Menten equation and provide parameter estimates along with estimates of their errors).
An abstract that summarises your findings, along with a physiological rationale for these findings.

Ensure that your document is correctly structured (i.e., use headings relevant to the tasks mentioned above and present them in a logical sequence).

Submit both the MS Word document and your spreadsheet. Name the spreadsheet <YOUR_SURNAME>_UPTAKE_RATES.xlsx, replacing <YOUR_SURNAME> with your surname.

Reuse

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Citation

BibTeX citation:

@online{smit2026,
  author = {Smit, A. J. and J. Smit, A.},
  title = {Lab 4: {Uptake} {Kinetics} — {Michaelis-Menten}},
  date = {2026-10-07},
  url = {https://tangledbank.netlify.app/BDC223/Lab4_nitrogen_uptake.html},
  langid = {en}
}

For attribution, please cite this work as:

Smit AJ, J. Smit A (2026) Lab 4: Uptake Kinetics — Michaelis-Menten. https://tangledbank.netlify.app/BDC223/Lab4_nitrogen_uptake.html.

--- title: "Lab 4: Uptake Kinetics — Michaelis-Menten" format: html: anchor-sections: true number-sections: false page-layout: article # typst: # fontsize: 11pt # hyphenate: true # lang: en # mainfont: "Minion Pro" # section-numbering: 1.1.1.1 # toc: true keywords: - Nutrient uptake - Michaelis-Menten kinetics - Algal nutrition --- ::: callout-tip ## This Lab Accompanies the Following Lecture - **Slides:** Nutrient Uptake Kinetics (on iKamva under Module Resources) - **Reading:** [Lecture 9b: Uptake Kinetics — Michaelis-Menten](L09b-nutrients_michaelis_menten.qmd) ::: ::: callout-tip ## Additional Reading - **Paper:** [Smit (2002)](../docs/Smit_2002.pdf) ::: ::: callout-tip ## Data for This Lab - [Nutrient uptake data for Lab 4](../data/BDC223/BDC223_Lab_5_Rate calculations.xlsx) ::: ::: callout-note ## Date - **Lab Date:** Monday, 2 November 2026, 13:30–17:10 - **Assignment Due:** Monday, 9 November 2026, 08:00 on iKamva - **Self-assessment Due (if applicable):** Monday, 9 November 2026, 23:59 on iKamva ::: Complete this Lab individually. The dates above follow the [module timetable](BDC223_index.qmd#sec-syllabus). ## Pre-Lab Read this lab and contextualise within the pertinent material in your text. ## Post-Lab Upload your completed spreadsheet and MS Word document to iKamva by **08:00 on Monday, 9 November 2026**. This requirement applies to both pre-assessed and self-assessed submissions. If this Lab is self-assessed, use the model answer or rubric provided after the assignment deadline to mark your submitted work. Upload the completed self-assessment to iKamva by **23:59 on the same day**. See the [Lab submission and self-assessment policy](BDC223_index.qmd#sec-lab-self-assessment) for the checking and penalty rules. ## Task In this practical, we will practice uptake kinetics calculations that plant biologists interested in nutrient uptake might encounter. Please read the pertinent theory material in your text and listen to my recorded lectures. The relevant section dealing with the rate calculations is in the PDF slides from under the heading "Uptake kinetics experiments" to the end of "Michaelis-Menten," but other material in the slides appears elsewhere in the document. ## Instructions You may complete the assignment in your own time. As part of the results presented in a properly formatted MS Word document, I would like to see: - Graphs illustrating the depletion of nutrients over time. - All calculations in the spreadsheet in the columns where '???' is indicated. - $V$ versus $[S]$ plots. - Estimates for $V_{max}$, $K_s$ and $\alpha$ - you can either derive them from the $V$ versus $[S]$ plot - or, for extra credit, apply the Michaelis-Menten equation and provide parameter estimates along with estimates of their errors). - An abstract that summarises your findings, along with a physiological rationale for these findings. Ensure that your document is correctly structured (i.e., use headings relevant to the tasks mentioned above and present them in a logical sequence). Submit both the MS Word document and your spreadsheet. Name the spreadsheet `<YOUR_SURNAME>_UPTAKE_RATES.xlsx`, replacing `<YOUR_SURNAME>` with your surname.