Masterimg biochem

[MarioKart]

hey SDN,

I am studying pathways in one of my courses, specifically those such as kreb's cycle, the 4 stages of the citric acid cycle, etc. it's been pretty easy memorizing it so far and I'm getting 100s on the quizzes. HOWEVER I am having trouble getting the whole concept down...meaning, I straight up memorized the products, intermediates and stuff but I feel if I get asked a question out of context that I am going to miss it because I do not have the big picture in my head at all. My whole class is struggling (it's a tough class) and I have asked but have found that others are also relying on memorizing. I just feel like I'm doing something wrong even though I am getting the highest grades, I cannot really "apply" it.

Any tips?!?! Thank you, brilliant students and doctors!!

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[JustAPhD]

Biochems a tough class, no way around it. You've hit the nail on the head though, memorization is ok for quizzes that test general knowledge but you need to be able to apply these concepts for exams.
When I took the class, I worked on not only knowing what happens but understanding why it's happening. The enzymatic reactions in biochem are governed by the same rules and trends as in OChem. Memorize the players (reactants, products, intermediates, and active site components of the enzyme) and logic your way through each problem being sure to take your time and understand the flow of electrons.

 

[Lawpy]

I just followed the pathways explained in detail in Lehninger's. It can get technical but it did a pretty good job understanding biochem as opposed to blindly memorizing

 

[bee17]

Watching videos where things are drawn out (like Khan Academy) helps me to visualize "big picture" concepts.

 

[eteshoe]

Use Lehninger's as well as Wikipedia to understand the concepts. Wiki is especially nice once you got the nitty gritty details down since it allows you to look at the concept from a 100 ft view and get the 'why' of the situation

 

[Buddy.the.Elf]

hey SDN,

I am studying pathways in one of my courses, specifically those such as kreb's cycle, the 4 stages of the citric acid cycle, etc. it's been pretty easy memorizing it so far and I'm getting 100s on the quizzes. HOWEVER I am having trouble getting the whole concept down...meaning, I straight up memorized the products, intermediates and stuff but I feel if I get asked a question out of context that I am going to miss it because I do not have the big picture in my head at all. My whole class is struggling (it's a tough class) and I have asked but have found that others are also relying on memorizing. I just feel like I'm doing something wrong even though I am getting the highest grades, I cannot really "apply" it.

Any tips?!?! Thank you, brilliant students and doctors!!

Separate out the parts of the pathways that have things in common. My school doesn't have a separate biochem course; it's all integrated into the system we're doing at the time. The lecturer is tough, but he breaks down the pathways based on common themes (what parts use ATP, what parts use this type of enzyme, etc). It blew my mind because the biochem I took in undergrad was so focused on the pathway and its distinct parts instead of the pieces of it that relate to one another and why that's important. That helped make much more conceptual sense for me.