Molecular Bio / Genetics

[johnj7]

did a quick search, but didn't find anything too useful
"molecular biology" and "genetics" are pretty general terms, and encompass a lot of concepts

since the bio section has taken a heavy lean towards them, could someone, preferrably someone who has recently taken the exam provide some bullet points?

I think a thread like that would be a great tool to future test takers

ie molecular biology
- transcription
- translation
- replication
- PCR, blah blah

genetics
- mendalian ratios
- bacterial genetics (Hfr stuff)
- etc

any high yield concepts to pack in before the exam?
any takers?
would be much appreciated!!

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[Alvarez13]

Bump.

 

[Tots]

Here:
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/preparing/bstopics.pdf

Genetics
A. MENDELIAN CONCEPTS
1. Phenotype and genotype
2. Gene
3. Locus
4. Allele: single and multiple
5. Homo- and heterozygosity
6. Wild type
7. Recessiveness
8. Complete dominance
9. Co-dominance
10. Incomplete dominance, leakage, penetrance, expressivity
11. Gene pool

B. MEIOSIS AND GENETIC VARIABILITY
1. Significance of meiosis
2. Important differences between meiosis and mitosis
3. Segregation of genes
a. Independent assortment
b. linkage
c. recombination
d. single crossovers
e. double crossovers
4. Sex-linked characteristics
a. very few genes on Y chromosome
b. sex determination
c. cytoplasmic inheritance
5. Mutation
a. general concept of mutation-error in DNA sequence
b. types of mutations: random, translation error, transcription error, base substitution,
inversion, addition, deletion, translocation, mispairing
c. advantageous vs. deleterious mutation
d. inborn errors of metabolism
e. relationship of mutagens to carcinogens]

C. ANALYTIC METHODS
1. Hardy-Weinberg Principle
2. Test cross: back cross, concepts of parental, F1 and F2 generations

Molecular Biology: Enzymes and Metabolism
A. ENZYME STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
1. Function of enzymes in catalyzing biological reactions
2. Reduction of activation energy
3. Substrates and enzyme specificity

B. CONTROL OF ENZYME ACTIVITY
1. Feedback inhibition
2. Competitive inhibition
3. Non-competitive inhibition

C. BASIC METABOLISM
1. Glycolysis, anaerobic and aerobic, substrates and products
2. Krebs cycle, substrates and products, general features of the pathway
3. Electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation, substrates and products,
general features of the pathway
4. Metabolism of fats and proteins
Molecular Biology: DNA and Protein Synthesis
I. DNA STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
A. DNA STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
1. Watson-Crick model of DNA; double helix
2. DNA composition: purine and pyrimidine bases, sugars, phosphate
3. Base pairing specificity: A with T, G with C
4. Function in transmission of genetic information

B. DNA REPLICATION
1. Mechanism of replication: separation of strands, specific coupling of free nucleic acids
2. Semi-conservative nature of replication

C. REPAIR OF DNA
1. Repair during replication
2. Repair of mutations

D. RECOMBINANT DNA
1. Restriction enzymes
2. Hybridization
3. Gene cloning

II. PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
A. GENETIC CODE
1. Central Dogma: DNA → RNA → protein
2. Codon-anticodon relationship
3. Missense, nonsense codons
4. Initiation, termination codons

B. TRANSCRIPTION
1. Messenger RNA
2. tRNA, rRNA
3. Mechanism of transcription

C. TRANSLATION
1. Roles of mRNA, tRNA, rRNA
2. Role and structure of ribosomes

Molecular Biology: Eukaryotes
A. EUKARYOTIC CHROMOSOME ORGANIZATION
1. Chromosomal proteins
2. Telomeres, centromeres

B. CONTROL OF GENE EXPRESSION IN EUKARYOTES
1. Transcription regulation
2. DNA binding proteins, transcription factors
3. Cancer as a failure of normal cellular controls, oncogenes
4. Post-transcriptional control [GEC]

good enough? Probably not exactly what your looking for(a little too much?) but...o well

 

[johnj7]

haha yeah thanks, i've never really taken a good look at that list, since I was sure that aamc would probably list a whole crap load of stuff that they don't fully test,

I was hoping for some more personalized opinions like "know this and this down cold or your screwed!!"

but i guess this will do

 

[ksmi117]

That list is pretty detailed. And yes, I would know something about all of those things just in case. All I know is what was on mine, and of course, the tests aren't the same. But from what I saw, I wouldn't focus so much on:

c. recombination
d. single crossovers
e. double crossovers
1. Glycolysis, anaerobic and aerobic, substrates and products
2. Krebs cycle, substrates and products, general features of the pathway
3. Electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation, substrates and products, general features of the pathway
D. RECOMBINANT DNA
1. Restriction enzymes
2. Hybridization
3. Gene cloning

Note: I am not saying don't study this stuff. Know the basics about it, but if you want to go in depth on stuff. Don't focus on this stuff. I really don't think the MCAT would ask what the 3rd protein in the ETS is... that's just ridiculous. Generally, this stuff would probably be passage-based and the basics would get you by.

Yes, the rest of the list is long. But each point isn't much to learn. This is very detailed and broken down. Go over this list, and you should be golden.

Also, make sure when you are studying, that you learn why things happen, not just that they do. Theory is very important and being able to figure that stuff out while studying will help you figure it out from passages and experiments given on the real deal.

Happy studying!!!