Biochemistry

I've just finished Biochemistry. I went through the Biochemistry section in First Aid and then annotated some extra information from the Kaplan Lecture notes. I honestly think First Aid covers Biochem sufficiently. I did the 2 Qbook practice tests with an average of 86% questions right, so I'm satisfied with myself for this subject.

 

In my opinion, the highest yield topic in First Aid Biochemistry is the Rate-limiting enzymes. I'm definitely going to review this page the day before my exam. Not as high yield but difficult to retain for me were the Lysosomal storage diseases and the Glycogen storage diseases, so I'm also going to review these 2 pages again the day before my exam.

 

My next step in USMLE Step 1 prep is Physiology! I'm going to try to get through it all in 6 days, and I'm going to have to work hard to achieve that!

 

Here is a list of the major Biochemistry annotations I added from the Kaplan lecture ntoes (I have the 2006-2007 edition):

• Comparison between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic DNA Replication: Kaplan pg. 22
• Genetic regulation: Kaplan pg. 69-77
• Transcription: Kaplan pg. 35-38 + pg. 43
• Indirect Genetic Diagnosis: Kaplan pg. 385-388
• Gene mapping: Kaplan pg. 366-376
• Algorithm for the Modes of Inheritance of a disease: Kaplan pg. 298 (Figure II-I-11)
• Vitamins: I'm not going to study these from First Aid because I felt Rapid Review Pathology covered these better. So I crossed them out in First Aid and made a page reference to Rapid Review Pathology.
• SAM, B12, and Folate: Kaplan pg. 257-259
• Overview of Energy metabolism: Kaplan pg. 153-159
• Functions of NADPH: Kaplan pg. 205
• Transport of ammonium by glutamine: Kaplan pg. 250
• VOMIT Pathway and enzyme deficiencies: diagram in Kaplan pg. 186      VOMIT (Valine, odd chain fatty acids, methionine, isoleucine and leucine, and threonine are all gluconeogenic and enter this pathway)
• Ketogenesis and Ketolysis: Kaplan pg. 237-239
• Triglyceride synthesis: Kaplan pg. 214-215