Biochem 1

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

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So my biochem course is really specific and doesn't cover metabolism at all. Will it be a major problem?

1. Principles of Biochemistry (2 lectures) The Foundations of Biochemistry Energy and principles of bioenergetics
2. Water (3 lectures) Non-covalent interactions
Properties of water
Acid/base properties, pH buffering capacity
3. Protein Structure and Stability (8 lectures)
Amino acids – structures, nomenclature, chemistry.
Primary structure – the peptide bond, sequence homology, and evolution, synthesis. Methods for protein purification and analysis.
Secondary structure – α-helices, β-sheets, turns, Ramachandran plot, structure prediction. Tertiary structure, protein motifs & structure classification
Quarternary structure.
Protein folding and dynamics.
Methods for protein structure determination.
4. Protein Function (8 lectures) Chapters 5 and 6 Protein-ligand interactions. Oxygen-binding proteins.
Quantitative analysis of protein-ligand interactions.
Cooperativity, allostery.
Enzymes -- how they work.
Enzyme kinetics – Michaelis-Menten equation, Lineweaver-Burke plots Enzyme inhibition – mechanisms.
Examples of enzymatic reactions.
5. Carbohydrates and Glycobiology (2 lectures) 6. Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids (2 lectures)
7. Lipids and Membranes (2 lectures)
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapters 10 and 11
Chapters 1 and 13 Chapter 2
Chapters 3 and 4

This as opposed to a more physiology related course focused on metabolism. What do you think?

 

[JDMcNugent]

Is it possible that your sections on proteins, carbs, and lipids will cover metabolism?

 

[bionerd89]

So my biochem course is really specific and doesn't cover metabolism at all. Will it be a major problem?

1. Principles of Biochemistry (2 lectures) The Foundations of Biochemistry Energy and principles of bioenergetics
2. Water (3 lectures) Non-covalent interactions
Properties of water
Acid/base properties, pH buffering capacity
3. Protein Structure and Stability (8 lectures)
Amino acids – structures, nomenclature, chemistry.
Primary structure – the peptide bond, sequence homology, and evolution, synthesis. Methods for protein purification and analysis.
Secondary structure – α-helices, β-sheets, turns, Ramachandran plot, structure prediction. Tertiary structure, protein motifs & structure classification
Quarternary structure.
Protein folding and dynamics.
Methods for protein structure determination.
4. Protein Function (8 lectures) Chapters 5 and 6 Protein-ligand interactions. Oxygen-binding proteins.
Quantitative analysis of protein-ligand interactions.
Cooperativity, allostery.
Enzymes -- how they work.
Enzyme kinetics – Michaelis-Menten equation, Lineweaver-Burke plots Enzyme inhibition – mechanisms.
Examples of enzymatic reactions.
5. Carbohydrates and Glycobiology (2 lectures) 6. Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids (2 lectures)
7. Lipids and Membranes (2 lectures)
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapters 10 and 11
Chapters 1 and 13 Chapter 2
Chapters 3 and 4

This as opposed to a more physiology related course focused on metabolism. What do you think?

Do you mean a problem for MCAT? Cause if you do then no it should not be a problem.

 

[JDMcNugent]

I could be wrong but if you haven't done so already, you can go to those three sections and see if metabolic pathways in regards to proteins, carbs, and lipids are covered in your text even though it may not be specified in the syllabus.

Is it possible that your sections on proteins, carbs, and lipids will cover metabolism?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Is it possible that your sections on proteins, carbs, and lipids will cover metabolism?

I don't think so, professor said no metabolism in majority. My issue is mostly for biochem in med school.

 

[bionerd89]

I don't think so, professor said no metabolism in majority. My issue is mostly for biochem in med school.

If you are generally good at biology, it should be pretty easy to learn about it through textbooks. Have you taken cell biology? Metabolism is pretty straightforward if you have a good cell bio background.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

If you are generally good at biology, it should be pretty easy to learn about it through textbooks. Have you taken cell biology? Metabolism is pretty straightforward if you have a good cell bio background.

I took cell bio and I got metabolism pretty well. But I'm worried because that's the big topic in med school biochem. Like idk, I don't want to learn the biochem that's utterly useless for medical school I mean.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Like what do you learn in med school biochem? What from this course can I actually take with me? Is biochem in med school just pure metabolism or are we going to actually care about proteins or structure?


That's my small debacle.

 

[WillburCobb]

What text Is the prof using?

 

[Mehd School]

Like idk, I don't want to learn the biochem that's utterly useless for medical school I mean.

Aren't you already enrolled?

I took Biochem 1 and it included zero metabolism. That stuff was saved for Biochem 2. Of all of my upper level courses (where I finally started to learn something) Biochem was far and away the most useless. I designate a lot of that to my professor. Memorizing dozens of structures and putting the big picture materials on the back burner got old pretty quick. 👍

I 150% regret taking biochem over physiology. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Aren't you already enrolled?

I took Biochem 1 and it included zero metabolism. That stuff was saved for Biochem 2. Of all of my upper level courses (where I finally started to learn something) Biochem was far and away the most useless. I designate a lot of that to my professor. Memorizing dozens of structures and putting the big picture materials on the back burner got old pretty quick. 👍

I 150% regret taking biochem over physiology. Your mileage may vary.

Yah, but I can always move things around. I mean in the end I'd rather take this course than the other more survey course as it fits my schedule better. But in the end ppl say metabolism is important in med school which is why I got really worried.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

What text Is the prof using?

Lenginger 5th Ed.

 

[DrEnderW]

Most biochem I classes from what I have seen are structured just like yours and part II is primarily metabolism. Although a large portion of biochem in med school is metabolism, I don't think it will be a huge problem not taking metabolism.

Would it help? Sure, but many students don't take it. Metabolism isn't that hard - it's just things such as memorizing the TCA cycle and a bunch of enzymes you'll have to relearn and memorize again anyways. All of those subjects in biochem I won't suddenly be unimportant as they serve as the basis for understanding metabolism.

Also, you aren't going to be learning it at the chemical structure and bonding level like in undergrad. I know I had multiple lectures about all the 3D visualization R-group interactions of hemoglobin binding or DNA polymerization and all that shenanigans that's more PhD style detail. Medical biochem is mostly "this is normal and when it's messed up in this way its 'X Disease.'" In other words, way less organic chem component and more terminology and disease states.

Take biochem II if you can/ would like to. Personally, I took just biochem I and instead of II, took way cooler elective classes I'll never get to take as a medical student or physician.

 

[WillburCobb]

Lenginger 5th Ed.

That's what my profs used both semesters, plus a couple chapters in Devlin second semester. Chapter-wise that schedule looks very similar to what I had in Biochem I with the exception that we also did chs. 19 and 14. The material in that ch. 14 wasn't covered in any more detail than what was in my cell bio course. So if you've taken an upper level cell bio course I would think you should be fine regarding the major metabolic pathways.

Second semester we covered chs. 24-28, ch, 12, and some chapters in Devlin on apoptosis and epigenetics. I found this material to be EXTREMELY helpful when taking more physiology oriented courses like neurobiology, immunology, and especially endocrinology - I had a significantly easier time than any of classmates in endo. Plus knowing the basic mechanisms of cell signaling, protein, RNA, and DNA metabolism will provide you with everything you need to know to understand any metabolic pathway so that when it comes time to learn those all you'll need to do is memorize the players and you're set.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Most biochem I classes from what I have seen are structured just like yours and part II is primarily metabolism. Although a large portion of biochem in med school is metabolism, I don't think it will be a huge problem not taking metabolism.

Would it help? Sure, but many students don't take it. Metabolism isn't that hard - it's just things such as memorizing the TCA cycle and a bunch of enzymes you'll have to relearn and memorize again anyways. All of those subjects in biochem I won't suddenly be unimportant as they serve as the basis for understanding metabolism.

Also, you aren't going to be learning it at the chemical structure and bonding level like in undergrad. I know I had multiple lectures about all the 3D visualization R-group interactions of hemoglobin binding or DNA polymerization and all that shenanigans that's more PhD style detail. Medical biochem is mostly "this is normal and when it's messed up in this way its 'X Disease.'" In other words, way less organic chem component and more terminology and disease states.

Take biochem II if you can/ would like to. Personally, I took just biochem I and instead of II, took way cooler elective classes I'll never get to take as a medical student or physician.

Thanks this is a really helpful post. I really just took it since it was highly recommended. But you're right, I'll learn it in med school either way.

 

[DrEnderW]

I really just took it since it was highly recommended.

As did I, but I think you'll enjoy it. I like biochem more that molecular biology or chemistry alone and found it to be way more interesting. It was nice to tie the two subjects together and it gives you a much deeper understanding of how processes actually function.

Good luck!

 

[cliquesh]

Like what do you learn in med school biochem? What from this course can I actually take with me? Is biochem in med school just pure metabolism or are we going to actually care about proteins or structure?


That's my small debacle.

It's mostly just the rate limiting steps and pathologic steps of the various metabolic pathways. You do not need to known structures unless you truly want to understand it. Its just memorization for the most part.

 

[JDMcNugent]

I am not sure if it is too late or even reasonable for you but I took UNE's biochem distance course and it was pretty much all bioenergetics and metabolism. It is 4 credits and I believe most DO schools accept this course but the problem is that is kind of pricey. I think it cost me about $1300 for the course so it would be the equivalent of paying out of state tuition.

 

[as1212559]

Just read the sections of the text book that cover it. You don't need to have metabolism down pat but I can't lie and say that having seen biochem before didnt help me. Same for everything else though. Don't dodge biochem, genetics, or a good anatomy class because coming in with even a minor base of knowledge will help.