Based on the fact that tomorrow is my biochemistry exam help me make notes on the topics given below and due to multiple reasons i was unaable to study anything so i know nothing therefore based on your understanding of me make the notes easy to memorize remember and understand also keep in mids these are all important topics so they should have all the information required in 1st year MBBS while not adding excess
[04/07, 3:19 pm] Dr. Zahid: There will be a special class on Endocrinology by Dr Kamran Khan, professor physiology at 10 am. All students are required to be present in the lecture.
[04/07, 3:30 pm] Dr. Zahid: Sunday 5th July at 10 am
[04/07, 7:04 pm] Dr. Zahid: Tumour Marker, Oncogene
[04/07, 7:04 pm] Dr. Zahid: Mechanism of Oncogene activation
[04/07, 7:04 pm] Dr. Zahid: Lac operon
[04/07, 7:04 pm] Dr. Zahid: Inhibitors of replication, transcription and translation
[04/07, 7:04 pm] Dr. Zahid: Post transcriptional and post translational modifications
[04/07, 7:04 pm] Dr. Zahid: Mutation, types of mutation
Details of point mutations
[04/07, 7:04 pm] Dr. Zahid: Different DNA repair mechanism and it's defect causing genetic disorder
[04/07, 7:18 pm] Dr. Zahid: Beta oxidation
Alfa and omega oxidation.
Fatty acid synthesis and regulation.
Sources of NADPH.
Ketogenesis in starvation and Diabetes mellitus. Regulation of ketogenesis.
Lipoproteins.
Functions of apolipoproteins.
Lipoprotein metabolism.
Lipoprotein (a).
Fatty liver
Regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis.
Products derived from cholesterol.
Biosynthesis of heme.
Bilirubin metabolism.
Jaundice.
Only 5 hours for everything as a whole
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Given the budget constraints (5 hours to study, tight tool budget), I'll do parallel searches across the major topic clusters to pull the most relevant textbook content, then synthesize everything into clean, exam-ready notes.
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Finding Sources
Good - I have textbook locations. Now let me pull the actual content from the most relevant biochemistry sources in parallel across all major topic groups.
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Finding Sources
Good content. Now let me pull the remaining key sections - fatty acid synthesis, lipoprotein metabolism, bilirubin/jaundice, tumour markers, inhibitors of replication/transcription/translation, and post-transcriptional/post-translational modifications.
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Now let me pull bilirubin/jaundice, ketone bodies, and inhibitors content:
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Finding Sources
That Harrison's section was about porphyrias, not bilirubin directly. Let me pull bilirubin from a better source and also search for inhibitors of replication/transcription/translation in Lippincott Biochemistry:
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Finding Sources
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I now have rich textbook content across all major topic areas. I have enough to write comprehensive, exam-ready notes. Let me now compile everything.Here are your complete, exam-ready notes. Everything is organized to be fast to read, easy to memorize, and covers 1st year MBBS requirements. I've used mnemonics, bullet points, and tables to make them stick quickly.
BIOCHEMISTRY EXAM NOTES - 1st Year MBBS
Time budget: ~15 min per section
1. TUMOUR MARKERS & ONCOGENES
What is a Tumour Marker?
A substance (protein, hormone, enzyme, etc.) produced by tumour cells or by the body in response to a tumour, found in blood/urine/tissue. Used for screening, diagnosis, monitoring response to treatment, and detecting recurrence.
Mnemonic - "A PIECE of Cake" for common markers:
Marker
Cancer
AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein)
Hepatocellular carcinoma, testicular germ cell
PSA (Prostate-specific antigen)
Prostate cancer
CEA (Carcinoembryonic antigen)
Colorectal, lung, breast
CA-125
Ovarian cancer
CA 19-9
Pancreatic cancer
hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)
Choriocarcinoma, testicular
Calcitonin
Medullary thyroid carcinoma
Bence Jones protein
Multiple myeloma
S-100
Melanoma
Ideal tumour marker: 100% sensitive and specific (none exists currently). Must be present only in tumour, measurable easily, levels correlate with tumour burden.
What is an Oncogene?
Proto-oncogene: Normal gene that regulates cell growth and division.
Oncogene: Mutated/overactivated proto-oncogene that drives uncontrolled cell proliferation (gain-of-function mutation - only ONE allele needs to be affected).
Acts like a stuck accelerator in a car.
Tumour Suppressor Genes = like brakes (BOTH alleles must be lost - loss of function). Examples: p53, Rb.
Mechanisms of Oncogene Activation (4 ways - mnemonic "PAINT")
Mechanism
How
Example
Point mutation
Single base change → constitutively active protein
KRAS (codon 12/13/61) in pancreatic (>95%), colon (40%) cancer
Amplification
Multiple copies of gene → overexpression
MYC in breast/prostate; MYCN in neuroblastoma; MDM2 in sarcoma
Insertion (retroviral)
Retrovirus inserts near proto-oncogene, activating it
HIV, HTLV
Non-disjunction / Translocation
Chromosome rearrangement puts gene near active promoter
BCR-ABL t(9;22) Philadelphia chromosome in CML; MYC-IgH t(8;14) in Burkitt lymphoma
Transcription factor dysregulation
Multiple cancers
Key exam point: KRAS mutations are gain-of-function - they lock RAS in active (GTP-bound) form, constantly signalling cell division even without growth factors.
Oncogene categories by function:
Growth factors (e.g., SIS/PDGF)
Growth factor receptors (e.g., EGFR/HER2)
Signal transducers (e.g., RAS, RAF)
Transcription factors (e.g., MYC, JUN)
Cell cycle regulators (e.g., Cyclin D1)
Anti-apoptotic proteins (e.g., BCL-2)
2. LAC OPERON
The Concept
The lac operon is a model of gene regulation in prokaryotes (E. coli). It controls the genes for metabolizing lactose. It has two controls: negative (repressor) and positive (CAP/CRP).
Transition: Purine ↔ Purine (A↔G) OR Pyrimidine ↔ Pyrimidine (C↔T) - same type
Transversion: Purine ↔ Pyrimidine - different type
Types by effect on protein:
Type
What happens
Example
Silent/Synonymous
Codon changes but same amino acid (due to degeneracy of code)
GAA → GAG (both = Glu)
Missense
Codon changes → different amino acid
Sickle cell: Glu→Val in β-globin (GAG→GTG)
Nonsense
Codon changes → STOP codon → truncated protein
CGA→TGA
Frameshift
Insertion/deletion of non-multiples of 3 bases → reading frame shifts
Almost always deleterious
2. Insertions & Deletions (Indels)
If number of bases NOT a multiple of 3 → frameshift mutation
If multiple of 3 → in-frame insertion/deletion (protein may retain some function)
3. Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions
Expansion of 3-base repeats beyond normal limits
Examples:
Huntington's disease: CAG repeats in HTT gene
Fragile X: CGG repeats in FMR1
Myotonic dystrophy: CTG repeats
Key exam point - Sickle cell disease: A→T transversion at codon 6 of β-globin. GAG (Glu) → GTG (Val). This single missense mutation causes the entire disease.
6. DNA REPAIR MECHANISMS & DISORDERS
Why repair? DNA is constantly damaged by UV light, chemicals, radiation, and replication errors.
Total ~106 ATP (net ~129 ATP before subtracting activation cost)
Special cases:
Odd-chain fatty acids: final product is propionyl-CoA → converted to succinyl-CoA (enters TCA) via propionyl-CoA carboxylase (requires Biotin + Vit B12)
Unsaturated fatty acids: require additional isomerase/reductase enzymes, produce slightly less ATP
Alpha Oxidation
Occurs in peroxisomes
Removes one carbon from the alpha (2nd) carbon as CO2
Important for branched-chain fatty acids (e.g., phytanic acid from plant food)
Brain normally uses glucose but switches to ketone bodies during prolonged starvation (60-70% of brain fuel after 4+ days of fasting) - this is why people survive prolonged starvation.
10. LIPOPROTEINS
Why lipoproteins? Lipids are hydrophobic and need protein carriers to travel in aqueous blood.
Structure
A lipoprotein = hydrophobic core (TAG, cholesterol esters) + hydrophilic shell (phospholipids, free cholesterol) + apolipoproteins on the surface.
Classification (by density, which is inversely related to fat content)
Lipoprotein
Made in
Carries mainly
Key Apo
Function
Chylomicrons
Intestine
Dietary TAG (exogenous)
ApoB-48, ApoC-II, ApoE
Delivers dietary fat to tissues
VLDL
Liver
Endogenous TAG
ApoB-100, ApoC-II, ApoE
Delivers liver-made TAG to tissues
IDL
From VLDL
TAG + Cholesterol
ApoB-100, ApoE
Intermediate; taken up by liver or → LDL
LDL
From IDL
Cholesterol esters (main)
ApoB-100 only
Delivers cholesterol to cells ("bad")
HDL
Liver + Intestine
Cholesterol (picks up from tissues)
ApoA-I
Reverse cholesterol transport ("good")
Functions of Key Apolipoproteins
Apolipoprotein
Function
ApoA-I
Activates LCAT (Lecithin-Cholesterol AcylTransferase); major HDL protein; reverse cholesterol transport
Structural for chylomicrons (intestine makes only this truncated form)
ApoC-II
Activates Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) → hydrolyzes TAG in chylomicrons and VLDL
ApoC-III
Inhibits LPL
ApoE
Mediates receptor-mediated uptake of remnants (chylomicron remnants, IDL) by liver
Lipoprotein Metabolism
Exogenous pathway (dietary fat):
Intestine → Chylomicrons → lymph → blood → LPL (activated by ApoC-II) hydrolyzes TAG → tissues take up fatty acids → Chylomicron remnant → taken up by liver (via ApoE binding to LDL-related receptors)
Endogenous pathway (liver-made):
Liver → VLDL → blood → LPL hydrolyzes TAG → IDL → either taken up by liver (ApoE) OR → LDL (after more TAG removal, IDL loses ApoE, retains ApoB-100)
Reverse cholesterol transport (HDL):
HDL (ApoA-I) → picks up cholesterol from peripheral tissues → LCAT esterifies it → HDL delivers cholesterol esters to liver (via SR-B1 receptor) or transfers to VLDL/LDL (via CETP)
Lipoprotein (a) - Lp(a)
LDL-like particle with an extra protein: Apo(a) linked to ApoB-100 by disulfide bond
Apo(a) is structurally similar to plasminogen → competes with plasminogen → inhibits fibrinolysis
3 Acetyl-CoA → HMG-CoA (by HMG-CoA synthase in cytosol - different from mitochondrial one)
↓
HMG-CoA → Mevalonate [RATE-LIMITING STEP, by HMG-CoA reductase]
↓
Mevalonate → Isoprene units (IPP, DMAPP)
↓
6 Isoprene units → Squalene
↓
Squalene → Lanosterol → Cholesterol (many steps)
HMG-CoA reductase is the target of STATINS (e.g., atorvastatin, simvastatin).
Regulation of Cholesterol Synthesis
Factor
Effect on HMG-CoA reductase
Mechanism
Intracellular cholesterol ↑
Inhibits
Decreases transcription (via SREBP) and increases degradation of the enzyme
Insulin
Activates
Promotes dephosphorylation (active form)
Glucagon
Inhibits
Promotes phosphorylation (inactive form)
Statins
Competitive inhibit
Structural analog of HMG-CoA → blocks active site
High cholesterol diet
Inhibits
Also downregulates LDL receptors
SREBP (Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein): When cholesterol is low → SREBP is activated → goes to nucleus → increases transcription of HMG-CoA reductase AND LDL receptor gene.
Two isoforms: ALAS1 (liver, all tissues), ALAS2 (erythroid only)
In cytosol:
2. 2 ALA → Porphobilinogen (PBG) - by ALA dehydratase (inhibited by lead)
3. 4 PBG → Hydroxymethylbilane → Uroporphyrinogen III
4. Uroporphyrinogen III → Coproporphyrinogen III
Back into mitochondria (end):
5. Coproporphyrinogen → Protoporphyrinogen IX → Protoporphyrin IX
6. Protoporphyrin IX + Fe²⁺ → Heme (by ferrochelatase - also inhibited by lead)
Good luck on your exam tomorrow! Start with the topics you find hardest - likely ketogenesis/lipoproteins and DNA repair - since those have the most detail. The mnemonics in this sheet are designed to help you reconstruct entire tables from single words during the exam.