Biology topics for pre-med exam preparation
Master the structure and function of mitochondria, ER, Golgi, lysosomes, peroxisomes, and vacuoles with high-yield comparisons.
Microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Motor proteins, cell movement, and structural support explained.
Compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Ribosomes, membranes, DNA organization, and classic exam traps.
Viral structure, replication cycles, lytic vs lysogenic pathways, and key virus concepts for pre-med exams.
Cell cycle phases, mitotic stages, checkpoints, and chromosome behavior during cell division.
Meiosis I and II, crossing over, independent assortment, and comparisons with mitosis.
Replication machinery, leading and lagging strands, Okazaki fragments, and the S phase of the cell cycle.
Fluid mosaic model, membrane fluidity, receptors, channels, and transport mechanisms. Active vs passive transport.
Glycolysis, pyruvate fates, lactate fermentation, and blood glucose regulation by insulin and glucagon.
Oxygen-hemoglobin binding, cooperativity, Bohr effect, fetal hemoglobin, myoglobin, and CO poisoning.
The four tissue types, homeostasis, and feedback loops. Foundation for organ system physiology.
Neuron structure, resting potential, action potentials, ion channels, synapses, and neurotransmitters.
pH regulation, bicarbonate buffer system, respiratory and metabolic disorders, and compensation mechanisms.
Innate vs adaptive immunity, B and T cells, antibodies, vaccines, and lymphoid organ functions.
BP equations, baroreceptor reflex, RAAS system, autonomic control, and vessel physiology.
Bone structure, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, growth plates, bone marrow, and calcium homeostasis.
Cerebral lobes, motor and sensory cortex, Broca and Wernicke areas, limbic system, brainstem, and cerebellum.
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrient concepts.
GI anatomy, mechanical and chemical digestion, bile, pancreatic enzymes, GI hormones, and absorption.
Heart anatomy, valves, blood flow, cardiac cycle phases, conduction system, ECG waves, and hemodynamics.
DNA → RNA → Protein. Transcription, translation, genetic code, RNA processing, and gene regulation.
Light reactions, Calvin cycle, chloroplast structure, stomata, limiting factors, and C3/C4/CAM comparisons.
Mitochondria structure, glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, Krebs cycle, ETC, and oxidative phosphorylation.
Natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, speciation, reproductive isolation, and phylogeny.
Female anatomy, HPO axis, ovarian and uterine cycles, ovulation, fertilization, implantation, and oogenesis.
Male anatomy, spermatogenesis, HPG axis, testosterone, accessory glands, and sperm structure.
Nephron anatomy, glomerular filtration, reabsorption and secretion, loop of Henle, ADH, aldosterone, RAAS, acid-base regulation, and urinalysis.
Hormone classes, hypothalamic-pituitary axes, thyroid and parathyroid hormones, adrenal cortex and medulla, pancreatic hormones, feedback loops, and clinical patterns.
Sarcomere structure, neuromuscular junction, excitation-contraction coupling, cross-bridge cycle, ATP requirements, force control, motor units, fiber types, and muscle metabolism.
Retina structure, photoreceptors (rods vs cones), phototransduction cascade, rhodopsin and visual cycle, color vision, night vision, dark adaptation, and vitamin A.
Taste buds and papillae, five basic tastes, taste transduction, olfactory epithelium and receptors, cranial nerves VII/IX/X/I, smell pathways, flavor perception, and chemosensory disorders.
Nuclear envelope, rough and smooth ER, Golgi apparatus, vesicle trafficking, protein targeting and signal peptides, lysosomes, endocytosis and exocytosis, and membrane topology.
Michaelis-Menten kinetics, Km and Vmax, competitive, noncompetitive, uncompetitive, mixed and irreversible inhibition, Lineweaver-Burk plots, allosteric enzymes, and exam calculations.
Arteries, veins, capillaries, vessel wall layers, hemodynamics, resistance vessels, capillary exchange pressures, hepatic and hypothalamic-pituitary portal systems, kidney microcirculation, and venous return.
Spermatogenesis, seminiferous tubules, Sertoli and Leydig cells, LH/FSH/testosterone/inhibin, sperm pathway, seminal vesicles, prostate, bulbourethral glands, capacitation, and clinical scenarios.
Mendelian laws, monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, Punnett squares, probability, incomplete dominance, codominance, ABO blood types, X-linked/Y-linked/mitochondrial inheritance, pedigree analysis, and common exam traps.