Learning Strategies in Biochemistry:
Life, The Cell, and Thermodynamics

Revised 2008/05/22

Essential Review or Remedial Work

From Biology

If you are a biology major, you are familiar with cells and their organelles. The chapter on cells in your biochemistry text should serve to review and update the subject for you. If you have not taken any college biology, do not despair, but please realize that you have some remedial work to do. Study the cells chapter in your biochemistry text carefully. If your biochemistry text does not provide a full chapter on cell structure and function, borrow a basic college biology text and study the chapter on cell structure and function.

From Chemistry

Use the material on thermodynamics in your biochemistry text as a guide to reviewing this subject in your general chemistry text. In particular, reacquaint yourself with

1. the connections among free energy, enthalpy, and entropy;
2. the relationship between free energy and concentrations of reaction components; and
3. the relationship between standard free energy and equilibrium constant for a reaction.

Review now -- don't wait until the first exam is bearing down on you and you are faced with lots of new material as well as the need to review.

Essential Memory Work: Organelles

As you study or review cell structure, learn the names and main functions of each organelle.

Biochemistry Resources