molecular biology studying

[mRNA]

Has anyone taken molecular biology? I'm studying for a test in it now. This stuff is so boring to study for. The exams are all essay and we basically have to memorize these experimental procedures then go spit them out on the test. There are some diagrams that go along with the text that make it less boring, but most of it is just like memorizing a lab procedure. I have a high B in the class now, but every time I study for these tests I'm angry because the material is so dry. ahh

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[ethyl]

Be glad you got an easy professor! My molec bio professor was obsessed with semantics and managed to make the most elementary molecular bio material sound like graduate course material... and his exams, omg his exams were murder. I had this strange feeling like I wanted to die after each exam. The course had the highest failure rate in my major. Ok.. done venting.

 

[mustangrolla]

I actually need to take molecular bio for USC this summer. However, due to scheduling conflicts, they allowed me to take Cell Bio instead. For those who have taken both, what exactly is the freakin difference? and which is harder? I heard cell bio is harder so am I in for the worst time during the summer?

 

[patmcd]

Cell bio is more the study of cell physiology like cell division, etc. Molecular bio is the interactions between various cell components like protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. There is a fair amount of overlap between the two, especially if its an intro course.

 

[fujicake]

I'm studying for my molecular bio midterm this very moment..

 

[crossjb]

I'm studying for a cell biology final tomorrow morning...

Chugging a case of Coca-Cola Blak tonight so I look like this in the morning -->

 

[ethyl]

I'm studying for my molecular bio midterm this very moment..

Does your professor test on stupid things like:
-A genotype can be a phenotype not just when the genotype is expressed but when the genotype is seen. ie: you see the alleles listed in your powerpoint slides. That genotype is now a phenotype because you're seeing the text "AaBB AABb" on the projector... a genophenotype.

Or... define Molecular Biology with only one word. Define Genetics with one word.

 

[fujicake]

Does your professor test on stupid things like:
-A genotype can be a phenotype not just when the genotype is expressed but when the genotype is seen. ie: you see the alleles listed in your powerpoint slides. That genotype is now a phenotype because you're seeing the text "AaBB AABb" on the projector... a genophenotype.

Or... define Molecular Biology with only one word. Define Genetics with one word.

The professor I have this quarter is new.. so I have no idea what her test will be like.

 

[patmcd]

The professor I have this quarter is new.. so I have no idea what her test will be like.

Most aren't that evil.

 

[Mangosteen]

Does your professor test on stupid things like:
-A genotype can be a phenotype not just when the genotype is expressed but when the genotype is seen. ie: you see the alleles listed in your powerpoint slides. That genotype is now a phenotype because you're seeing the text "AaBB AABb" on the projector... a genophenotype.

Or... define Molecular Biology with only one word. Define Genetics with one word.

hhahahahha YES! My prof asked something along that line!

 

[Mangosteen]

I'm taking molecular bio along with the graduate students and it's horrible. I HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!!! I agree that the material IS very very very dry and it's too research oriented. I will NOT be cloning anything so I feel like this class is useless. I should've taken immunology. My professor is the most uber boring professor alive. I hope I will never cross path with any professor as boring as this one. I wish someone told me to stay away from it before finals roll around.

 

[RxRob]

lol... I feel so bad for you all... not because you're in a hard course, but because you don't even know yet how many times these concepts will be revisited and in increasingly more depth... things you don't now think could possibly even be known that you will need to know in and out.

Clone vectoring, PCT, Alleles, things like that not so much, but ANYTHING having to do with general cell biology PLEASE take the time to get to know it well, especially anything metabolism related... glycolosis, Kreb's or Citric cycle, Electron transport... ANYTIME ATP is mentioned you'd better perk up!

Antibiotics and such drugs will interrupt specific phases of the cell cycle, and it will turn out later that each of those phases has many sub-phases (NOT just the 5 you know now like anaphase and telophase etc..)... you will need to be able to take this for granted by the time you're learning where the drug acts and how, otherwise, you will be going back to everything you ever thought you learned before you can absorb any new material. And if you're relying on short-term memory to get through those tests (I did and I hate myself) it WILL come back to haunt you.

Please don't take any of this as condescending, I'm really trying to forewarn you for your benefit.

 

[pharmacology]

Now that was a great post!

lol... I feel so bad for you all... not because you're in a hard course, but because you don't even know yet how many times these concepts will be revisited and in increasingly more depth... things you don't now think could possibly even be known that you will need to know in and out.

Clone vectoring, PCT, Alleles, things like that not so much, but ANYTHING having to do with general cell biology PLEASE take the time to get to know it well, especially anything metabolism related... glycolosis, Kreb's or Citric cycle, Electron transport... ANYTIME ATP is mentioned you'd better perk up!

Antibiotics and such drugs will interrupt specific phases of the cell cycle, and it will turn out later that each of those phases has many sub-phases (NOT just the 5 you know now like anaphase and telophase etc..)... you will need to be able to take this for granted by the time you're learning where the drug acts and how, otherwise, you will be going back to everything you ever thought you learned before you can absorb any new material. And if you're relying on short-term memory to get through those tests (I did and I hate myself) it WILL come back to haunt you.

Please don't take any of this as condescending, I'm really trying to forewarn you for your benefit.

 

[ethyl]

Id imagine most people taking molec bio are microbiology majors. Therefore all of these concepts in molec will have been hammered into our heads permanently by the time we graduate... It's certainily been the case for me. whether it be from Quantitative Biological Methods, Genetics, Microbio or Molec II.

 

[DuocSi2010]

lol... I feel so bad for you all... not because you're in a hard course, but because you don't even know yet how many times these concepts will be revisited and in increasingly more depth... things you don't now think could possibly even be known that you will need to know in and out.

Clone vectoring, PCT, Alleles, things like that not so much, but ANYTHING having to do with general cell biology PLEASE take the time to get to know it well, especially anything metabolism related... glycolosis, Kreb's or Citric cycle, Electron transport... ANYTIME ATP is mentioned you'd better perk up!

Antibiotics and such drugs will interrupt specific phases of the cell cycle, and it will turn out later that each of those phases has many sub-phases (NOT just the 5 you know now like anaphase and telophase etc..)... you will need to be able to take this for granted by the time you're learning where the drug acts and how, otherwise, you will be going back to everything you ever thought you learned before you can absorb any new material. And if you're relying on short-term memory to get through those tests (I did and I hate myself) it WILL come back to haunt you.

Please don't take any of this as condescending, I'm really trying to forewarn you for your benefit.

Thanks for the advice but my professor is gearing us toward research so he focuses more on purifying proteins, genetics, and cloning stuff.