Self studying Genetics from this text...which chapters should I care for most?

[deleted854212]

Hi All,

I have taken biology/biochem and will be taking cell bio before the MCAT, but I am unfortunately forced to self-study Genetics before this test. I know it's not technically a required class but from what I've seen it certainly wouldn't hurt to know genetics off the back of your hand.


I am self-studying from An Introduction to Genetic Analysis by Griffiths. The Table of Contents are:

1. The Genetic Approach to Biology
2. Single-Gene Inheritance
3. Independent Assortment of Genes
4. Mapping Eukaryote Chromosomes by Recombination
5. The Genetics of Bacteria and Their Viruses
6. Gene Interaction
7. DNA: Structure and Replication
8. RNA: Transcription and Processing
9. Proteins and Their Synthesis
10. Gene Isolation and Manipulation
11. Regulation of Gene Expression in Bacteria and Their Viruses
12. Regulation of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes
13. The Genetic Control of Development
14. Genomes and Genomics
15. The Dynamic Genome
16. Mutation and Repair
17. Large-Scale Chromosomal Changes
18. Population Genetics
19. The Inheritance of Complex Traits
20. Evolution of Genes and Traits

I would appreciate it if people who have embedded themselves in this test deeply and done well could go through that list of chapters and tell me which ones to emphasize in my studying, if hypothetically, time were a scarce resource.

Thanks in advance!

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[Spectar]

Okay so you really don't need too much from this course. Really all the genetics you will need is in any mcat book set you choose (TBR, PR, EK, KAPLAN). But I'll play for fun.

1. The Genetic Approach to Biology
2. Single-Gene Inheritance *
3. Independent Assortment of Genes
4. Mapping Eukaryote Chromosomes by Recombination
5. The Genetics of Bacteria and Their Viruses
6. Gene Interaction
7. DNA: Structure and Replication *
8. RNA: Transcription and Processing *
9. Proteins and Their Synthesis *
10. Gene Isolation and Manipulation
11. Regulation of Gene Expression in Bacteria and Their Viruses
12. Regulation of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes
13. The Genetic Control of Development *
14. Genomes and Genomics
15. The Dynamic Genome
16. Mutation and Repair
17. Large-Scale Chromosomal Changes
18. Population Genetics
19. The Inheritance of Complex Traits
20. Evolution of Genes and Traits

I *'d the ones you should know thoroughly. The rest you don't need the in depth understanding that the textbook will give you a superficial understanding will do just fine.

 

[NextStepTutor_1]

Hi @KingOfSparkles,

In addition to the points that @SpectreDoc makes, I'd just add that you might want to invest some time in Chapter 11, because the regulation of prokaryotic gene expression is tested (i.e., operons). Chapter 18 (population genetics) may also be worth reviewing, because a fair amount of topics from this field are testable, although there may be some overlap with chapter 20. It's not common, but crossover mapping (which seems to be in Chapter 4 in this textbook) can come up too.

In general, if you're ever wondering what's on the MCAT, the best solution is to go straight to the official source. If you Google "aamc what's on the MCAT" (or something similar), you'll find a landing page from which you can download the entire 128-page content outline. It may seem a bit overwhelming, but this is the most authoritative source for determining whether or not something is testable. Figuring out how much to study a given topic is a little bit trickier. As a rule of thumb, though, a solid undergraduate textbook like Griffiths (which I remember from genetics coursework myself!) will go into more depth than you're likely to see on the MCAT. A similar point could be made about Lehninger's Biochemistry -- it's a great resource, but way more than you need to get the job done for the MCAT. As @SpectreDoc pointed out, there are a few chapters you should know thoroughly, but in general, be sure to focus on the fundamental principles rather than getting bogged down in every little detail the textbook will bring up.

Best of luck as you study!!

 

[deleted854212]

Alright thanks to both of you for taking the time to suggest those chapters!

 

[Zenabi90]

I would throw in my 2 cents. Take a quick look at 18/19. Be familiar with genetic drift and related concepts (would that be Ch 18?), as they can be fair play for multiple sections (bio, CARS, socio). Also make sure you are familiar with incomplete dominance and autosomal vs X/Y-linked dominant/recessive (probably Ch 2, but maybe got lumped into 19 instead?).

Also be comfortable with your Ps and Qs and manipulating those formulas.