Learning Strategies in Biochemistry:

Catabolism of Amino Acids

2008/05/22

Essential Review:

From organic chemistry, review these concepts:

• Formation and hydrolysis of imines
• Reactions of Schiff Bases

Essential Memory Work: The Urea Cycle

Using the urea-cycle pathway chart in your text as a starting point, memorize the following:

• Complete structures (including stereochemistry, if chiral) and names of all intermediates in the urea cycle, starting with ammonia, bicarbonate ions, ornithine, and aspartate and ending with urea, ornithine, and aspartate.
• Names of all enzymes.
• Points of use or production of all cofactors (ATP, NAD, and so forth).

Quiz (beginning of first class on this subject)

Write out the urea cycle, with all details outlined above. 10 minutes.

Pathway Information Provided Exams

Memorizing pathways is primarily an aid to learning more about them. Questions on exams will be on a higher level than mere memory work. On exams that cover topics in metabolism, your instructor should provide pathways charts of any pathways you need in order to answer exam questions. So there is no need to come to exams prepared to regurgitate pathways. Instead, come prepared to use your experience with pathways -- gained by memory work, reading, and problem solving -- to answer questions, interpret data, and solve problems about them.

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