Essential Amino Acids

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TheBoneDoctah

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I have been going through Berkeley Review passages and have now come across several questions requiring you to know the essential amino acids. Do you think we need to know the amino acids that are essential for the MCAT?

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I don't think it's necessary to know every 20 amino acid's structure.
However, I think it's worth awhile to know the following key aspects...

Glycine is the only achiral amino acid
All amino acids are L in the natural form. The only exception to this is cysteine, which is R
Cysteine = involved disulfide bond
Acidic Amino Acids: Aspartic Acid and Glutamic Acid
Basic Amino Acids: Lysine, Arginine, Histidine
^(acid/basic relative to physiological pH which is ~7.4)
Understand isoelectric pH with respect to amino acids
Amino Acids can exist as Zwitterions
Proline is cyclic and involved in the turning of DNA molecules

EDIT: just realized thread referred to essential amino acids not all.. oops
 
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I'm using TBR as well and decided to learn the essential AAs just in case. I don't think it's required but it could help in eliminating wrong answer choices with a random discrete.

I found the mnemonic, "Private Tim Hall always argues never tires" helpful.

P-Proline
V-Valine
T-Threonine

T-Tryptophan
I-Isoleucine
M-Methionine

H-Histidine
A-Arginine
L-Leucine
L-Lysine

Always Argues reminds you A=Arginine and not Aspartic Acid

Never Tires reminds you T=Threonine and Tryptophan and not Tyrosine.

Hope that helps!
 
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I'm using TBR as well and decided to learn the essential AAs just in case. I don't think it's required but it could help in eliminating wrong answer choices with a random discrete.

I found the mnemonic, "Private Tim Hall always argues never tires" helpful.

P-Proline
V-Valine
T-Threonine

T-Tryptophan
I-Isoleucine
M-Methionine

H-Histidine

A-Arginine
L-Leucine
L-Lysine

Always Argues reminds you A=Arginine and not Aspartic Acid

Never Tires reminds you T=Threonine and Tryptophan and not Tyrosine.

Hope that helps!

If you know the 1-letter acronyms, I came up with one during my recent physio class (before I realized the class was a joke and we didn't need to know anything):

Victor's MILKY WHT Fluid

...but then, my textbook (and the one I double-checked with) included tyrosine and phenylalanine, but not proline.

I always think it's WAAYYYY easier to use the 1-letter abbreviations, that way I know which a.a. is being referred to without adding anything!
 
If you know the 1-letter acronyms, I came up with one during my recent physio class (before I realized the class was a joke and we didn't need to know anything):

Victor's MILKY WHT Fluid

...but then, my textbook (and the one I double-checked with) included tyrosine and phenylalanine, but not proline.

I always think it's WAAYYYY easier to use the 1-letter abbreviations, that way I know which a.a. is being referred to without adding anything!

I wouldn't want the protein in that fluid even if they're essential...
 
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