A construção coletiva do fato científico ácido ribonucleico: abordagem histórica-epistemológica "mundo de RNA" na perspectiva de Fleck

Abstract

Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) studies life and its small building blocks, such as cells and their micro and macromolecules. The teaching and learning of CMB is commonly associated with complexity, especially due to technical terms and a lack of connection to scientific knowledge. Within this context, a significant gap is noted regarding nucleic acids, particularly ribonucleic acid, known by its English acronym RNA. Recently, RNA has been introduced into textbooks within the context of the origin of life, correlating it with the so-called "RNA World," which points to this macromolecule as a precursor to life. Considering that the inclusion of the History of Science can contribute to teaching by providing a connection between scientific knowledge and its key figures; based on the Epistemology of Ludwik Fleck (1896-1961), this work aimed to analyze the historical-epistemological contexts that constituted the hypotheses and theories about ribonucleic acid in the RNA World, and led to the construction of the Scientific Fact by Fleck's Epistemology for Biology teaching. Specific objectives included: elaborating a historical-epistemological synthesis on ribonucleic acid and the RNA World; evaluating the presence, through a historical-epistemological approach, of ribonucleic acid in the content related to the RNA World in Biology textbooks and academic books, identifying the presence of bibliographic and photographic elements; and constructing a pedagogic material, a digital book, to assist in the insertion of the epistemological history of Science into RNA content in Biology classes. The study was qualitative, exploratory, bibliographic, and documentary in nature. The methodological procedures were divided into three stages: initially, a synthesis and analysis of primary and secondary sources was constructed, in which the history of RNA was (re)constructed in the RNA World, attributing Fleck's Epistemology. In the second stage, content analysis was conducted on textbooks (National Textbook and Didactic Material Program of 2021) and academic books (considering the teaching plans of the Cellular Biology 1 and 2 of the Biological Sciences degree program at the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa); the presence of RNA content in the RNA World was evaluated through a historical-epistemological approach and historical elements. The third stage was the construction of the digital book, which underwent initial validation by six individuals who graduated from the Biological Sciences degree program and are working in the field, using an online form. Fleck's epistemology contributed a critical view of collective research work, fostering the history of the construction of the RNA World Fact as a hypothesis created by a collective of scientists. The books analyzed presented a divergence of data regarding the "creator" of the hypothesis, in addition to little material associated with the History of Science. The initial validation of the digital book highlighted the effectiveness of Fleck's epistemology and the elements of historical-scientific insertion for understanding the content of RNA World.