Process of Spermatogenesis - necessary to know?

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EK Bio spermatogenisis section is pretty short and I understand it. But TBR has this entire section about sperm production, including info on mitosis/first meiotic division/ second meiotic division.. how indepth do we need to know/memorize this stuff for the MCAT? I heard JUST EK bio prepared people enough for MCAT but TBR is scaring me.

Originally Posted by ilovemedi

EK Bio spermatogenisis section is pretty short and I understand it. But TBR has this entire section about sperm production, including info on mitosis/first meiotic division/ second meiotic division.. how indepth do we need to know/memorize this stuff for the MCAT? I heard JUST EK bio prepared people enough for MCAT but TBR is scaring me.

Imo EK bio is like an outline of what you need to know. The details and specifics need to come from other sources. Spermatogenesis is definitely something you should know pretty intimately.

That section, especially development, is pretty insane in TBR. But spermatogenesis is a pretty simply thing to chart out and memorize, since IIRC TBR fails to do it for you.

Spermatogonium (2n, least differentiated) --(Mitosis)--> primary spermatocyte (2n) --meiosis I--> secondary spermatocyte (1n)--meiosis II-->spermatid(1n)--spermiogenesis-->spermatazoa (1n, most differentiated)

Originally Posted by brandonh4

That section, especially development, is pretty insane in TBR. But spermatogenesis is a pretty simply thing to chart out and memorize, since IIRC TBR fails to do it for you.

Spermatogonium (2n, least differentiated) --(Mitosis)--> primary spermatocyte (2n) --meiosis I--> secondary spermatocyte (1n)--meiosis II-->spermatid(1n)--spermiogenesis-->spermatazoa (1n, most differentiated)

IMO I think people needs to know more than that.

Originally Posted by BestDoctorEver

IMO I think people needs to know more than that.

That's the entire process. What else is there to know about the "Process of Spermatogenesis?"

Where it occurs and what stimulates it is not the same thing.

the EK bio section on female reproductive section throws in a lot of terms in 1 paragraph. and i guess we have to memorize. hate this seciton.

Originally Posted by ilovemedi

the EK bio section on female reproductive section throws in a lot of terms in 1 paragraph. and i guess we have to memorize. hate this seciton.

You cannot hate this section with more passion than me.

Originally Posted by BestDoctorEver

You cannot hate this section with more passion than me.

No one hates it more than me!

In my experience, the Bio section of the MCAT is more a test of your experimental reasoning ability than random junk like that. I think it is pretty rare that they will ask you at what week the LH surge would be in. It is more likely that they give you a hypothetical and do a short explanation.

Well, won't dispute what could and could not be on MCAT. But it is very likely that you have passage (or even a discrete) that requires simple knowledge on meiosis to get to the answer.

I just took my first exam and came across a question that required me to know that spermatogonium was a diploid cell. And I was wavering b/c I didn't know if it was a spermatid (n) or spermatogonium (2n!)....

In fact, I've seen nomenclature come up a lot...

Originally Posted by SaintJude

Well, won't dispute what could and could not be on MCAT. But it is very likely that you have passage (or even a discrete) that requires simple knowledge on meiosis to get to the answer.

I just took my first exam and came across a question that required me to know that spermatogonium was a diploid cell. And I was wavering b/c I didn't know if it was a spermatid (n) or spermatogonium (2n!)....

In fact, I've seen nomenclature come up a lot...

Was it an AAMC exam?