I want to make a gigantic poster of all the amino acids because I hear that it's going to be a "yuge" part of the exam.The problem is I am finding different websites telling me that certain amino acids are polar when they're not or vice versa and when it comes to hydrophobic versus hydrophilic amino acids..... It's all over the place. Can someone give me a list of which is which according to the MCAT's definitions? I've spent so long on this and now my brain is numb. Please and thank you!!
There is a spectrum on polarity - that's why you find different sites telling you different things. I wouldn't stick to any one list - think of them as members of several, overlapping groups. So for instance know the aliphatic amino acids like alanine, leucine, valine, etc. Know the aromatic ones like tryptophan and phenylalanine. Know the ones that are commonly phosphorylated like serine and tyrosine. Know the sulfur-containing ones - methionine and cysteine. Know the acidic and basic ones.
I'll share my AA mnenomics with you; which are in accordance with the MCAT
Hydropobic
Aliphatic : She is a VIP GAL (Valine Isoleucine Proline Glycine Alanine Leucine)
Aromatic = Meth (not aromatic, but i like the nmenomic) Tryin' Felon (Methionine, Tryptophan and Phenylalanine)
Hydrophilic
Polar: Sagy C*U_N /T ( Serine Asparagine Glutamine Tyrosine Cysteine and Threotine)
Acidic ( Glutamic and Asparic Acid)
Basic ( Arginine Lysine Histidine)
Hydropobic
Aliphatic : She is a VIP GAL (Valine Isoleucine Proline Glycine Alanine Leucine)
Aromatic = Meth (not aromatic, but i like the nmenomic) Tryin' Felon (Methionine, Tryptophan and Phenylalanine)
Hydrophilic
Polar: Sagy C*U_N /T ( Serine Asparagine Glutamine Tyrosine Cysteine and Threotine)
Acidic ( Glutamic and Asparic Acid)
Basic ( Arginine Lysine Histidine)
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Thank you so much. Looking at it that way makes sense. My main concern was figuring out which ones would most likely participate in hydrogen bonding or which ones are tucked in vs on the surface interacting with the aqueous environment. I've had several practice problems focused on that and I'm worried because IDK!!!! Any tips?
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Get a biochem textbook and learn from that. You're right that if you use websites, there are different ways different disciplines group them. There is no easy way to truly learn the aa's. Write them over and over and over and over. And over and over. Anki seems like it could be a good resource for memorizing the abbreviations and recognizing structures, but you only truly know them if you can write them and recognize them.
But you need to know the aa's inside and out. One letter abbreviations, three letter abbreviations, structures, charges, and where they are found in protein structure as well as special cases, purification, experimental techniques... One thing that I did not see was essential/non essential aa classifications... Other than that, learning aa's intensively is very high yield for MCAT and probably medical school too
Have fun and good luck!
But you need to know the aa's inside and out. One letter abbreviations, three letter abbreviations, structures, charges, and where they are found in protein structure as well as special cases, purification, experimental techniques... One thing that I did not see was essential/non essential aa classifications... Other than that, learning aa's intensively is very high yield for MCAT and probably medical school too
Have fun and good luck!
