Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students (2021) is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a first-year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these content areas in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom. Clinical correlates and additional application of content is intended to be provided in the classroom experience. The text assumes that the students will have completed medical school prerequisites (including the MCAT) in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of biology and chemistry that are essential to understand the content presented here. This resource should be assistive to the learner later in medical school and for exam preparation given the material is presented in a succinct manner, with a focus on high-yield concepts.

The 276-page text was created specifically for use by pre-clinical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and was based on faculty experience and peer review to guide development and hone important topics.

Available Formats
978-1-949373-42-4 (PDF)
978-1-949373-43-1 (ePub) [coming soon]
978-1-949373-41-7 (Pressbooks) https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/cellbio
Also available via LibreTexts: https://med.libretexts.org/@go/page/37584

How to Adopt this Book
Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest at: https://bit.ly/interest-preclinical.

Instructors and subject matter experts interested in and sharing their original course materials relevant to pre-clinical education are requested to join the instructor portal at https://www.oercommons.org/groups/pre-clinical-resources/10133.

Features of this Book
1. Detailed learning objectives are provided at the beginning of each subsection
2. High resolution, color contrasting figures illustrate concepts, relationships, and processes throughout
3. Summary tables display detailed information
4. End of chapter lists provide additional sources of information
5. Accessibility features including structured heads and alternative-text provide access for readers accessing the work via a screen-reader

Table of Contents
1. Biochemistry basics
2. Basic laboratory measurements
3. Fed and fasted state
4. Fuel for now
5. Fuel for later
6. Lipoprotein metabolism and cholesterol synthesis
7. Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), purine and pyrimidine metabolism
8. Amino acid metabolism and heritable disorders of degradation
9. Disorders of monosaccharide metabolism and other metabolic conditions
10. Genes, genomes, and DNA
11. Transcription and translation
12. Gene regulation and the cell cycle
13. Human genetics
14. Linkage studies, pedigrees, and population genetics
15. Cellular signaling
16. Plasma membrane
17. Cytoplasmic membranes
18. Cytoskeleton
19. Extracellular matrix

Suggested Citation
LeClair, Renée J., (2021). Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students, Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech Publishing. https://doi.org/10.21061/cellbio. Licensed with CC BY NC-SA 4.0.

About the Author
Renée J. LeClair is an Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Science Education at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, where her role is to engage activities that support the departmental mission of developing an integrated medical experience using evidence-based delivery grounded in the science of learning. She received a Ph.D. at Rice University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in vascular biology. She became involved in medical education, curricular renovation, and implementation of innovative teaching methods during her first faculty appointment, at the University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2013, she moved to a new medical school, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Greenville. The opportunities afforded by joining a new program and serving as the Chair of the Curriculum committee provided a blank slate for creative curricular development and close involvement with the accreditation process. During her tenure she developed and directed a team-taught student-centered undergraduate medical course that integrated the scientific and clinical sciences to assess all six-core competencies of medical education.

Accessibility Note
The University Libraries at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech Publishing are committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The HTML (Pressbooks) and ePub versions of this book utilize header structures and include alternative text which allow for machine-readability.

Please report any errors at https://bit.ly/feedback-preclinical

These materials created by Dr. Kiel Nikolakakis in Spring 2023, feature a syllabus, PDFs from Organic Chemistry with a Biological Emphasis by Dr. Timothy Soderberg, additional supplementary resources, a video playlist, video examples, and practice quizzes and keys.

The topics covered in this course include: General Chemistry; Acids and bases in organic chemistry; Organic functional groups; Alkanes; Alkyl Halides; Cyclic compounds; Isomers and chirality; Organic reactions; Nucleophiles and electrophiles; Nucleophilic substitution; Alcohols, thiols, and amines; Alkenes and alkynes; Resonance and conjugation; Carbonyl compounds; Aldehydes and ketones; Carboxylic acids, esters, and amides; Benzene and aromatic compounds; Radicals; Carbohydrates; Amino acids and peptides; Lipids; Nucleic Acids

Short Description:
This book aims to provide the basic foundational chemistry required to understand the structure and function of human cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems covered in Biology 1190 and 1191 at Langara College.

Word Count: 9018

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

In this activity, students perform the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis on raw data obtained from an experiment that explores the effect of overexpressing the Snakeskin (Ssk) protein on the lifespan of a population of fruit flies. This tight junction equivalent protein is expressed at higher levels than normal specifically in the gut and throughout the entire lifespan of the flies. Because aging guts are accompanied by both a mislocalization and a decrease in the expression levels of junctional proteins, including Ssk, it was hypothesized that overexpressing Ssk may lead to a healthier fly with a longer lifespan. This data will be analyzed in order to determine if there is a significant difference between the control flies in which no overexpression occurs and the experimental group in which Ssk is overexpressed.

The following six figures represent electron transport chains functioning within the processes of nitrification and denitrification within the nitrogen cycle, and methanogenesis within the carbon cycle. Each figure is included with and without a legend. Figure 1 represents oxidation of ammonia to nitrite, the first phase of nitrification. Figure 2 represents oxidation of nitrite to nitrate, the second phase of nitrification. Figure 3 represents reduction of nitrate to molecular nitrogen through denitrification. Figure 4 represents oxidation of ammonia to nitrous oxide by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Figure 5 represents reduction of nitrate to nitrous oxide by incomplete denitrification. Figure 6 represents reduction of carbon dioxide by hydrogen gas to produce methane.

Enzymes are biocatalyst they accelerate the chemical reaction. They are organic, all enzymes are made of protein but not all enzymes are protein. Certain biological reactions can be catalyzed by RNA called Ribozyme. Protein is a dynamic molecule; its activity depends on the three-dimensional structure. For example, the water droplet size gets flexible, if you touch. Protein folding and three-dimensional structures are vital for activity.  There is no living cell without an enzyme, in the living cell; it functions to accelerate the biological reaction. There is a misfolded protein infectious agent called Prion, which causes normal brain protein to misfold which, leads to neurodegratative disease. This module presents concise notes of enzyme basic concepts; bioinformatics tools and few examples of enzymes in everyday life.

A comprehensive Life Sciences textbook for Grade 10. This resource includes an interactive online textbook which can be read on personal computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Downloadable textbook and Teachers' Guide are available in PDF format. Topics covered include: Biological drawings, diagrams, charts and tables, Organic and Inorganic Compounds, Cells and Molecules, Plant and Animal Life Systems and Ecospheres, History of Life on Earth

In this activity, students use real water chemistry data and descriptive statistics in Excel to examine primary productivity in an urban estuary of the Salish Sea. They will consider how actual data do or do not support expected annual trends.

In this activity, students use real water chemistry data and descriptive statistics in Excel to examine primary productivity in an urban estuary of the Salish Sea. They will consider how actual data do or do not support expected annual trends.

The most recent knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and bioengineering of the gastrointestinal tract and the associated pancreatic, liver and biliary tract systems is presented and discussed. Gross and microscopic pathology and the clinical aspects of important gastroenterological diseases are then presented, with emphasis on integrating the molecular, cellular and pathophysiological aspects of the disease processes to their related symptoms and signs.

Express yourself through your genes! See if you can generate and collect three types of protein, then move on to explore the factors that affect protein synthesis in a cell.

An integrated course stressing the principles of biology. Life processes are examined primarily at the molecular and cellular levels. Intended for students majoring in biology or for non-majors who wish to take advanced biology courses.

Student teams learn about engineering design of green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) and their use in medical research, including stem cell research. They simulate the use of GFPs by adding fluorescent dye to water and letting a flower or plant to transport the dye throughout its structure. Students apply their knowledge of GFPs to engineering applications in the medical, environmental and space exploration fields. Due to the fluorescing nature of the dye, plant life of any color, light or dark, can be used unlike dyes that can only be seen in visible light.

A five-page illustrated handout for Medical Office and Laboratory Assistants that explains:
- What a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) is
- Why monitoring diabetes is important
- What equipment is necessary for a proper GTT
- How to prepare the patient for a GTT
- How to conduct the GTT
- When blood and urine should be collected
- What could interfere with the test results
- Possible complications from the test
- When to alert the doctor and nurse
- What the test results mean
- How to report the test results

This course focuses on one particular aspect of the history of computing: the use of the computer as a scientific instrument. The electronic digital computer was invented to do science, and its applications range from physics to mathematics to biology to the humanities. What has been the impact of computing on the practice of science? Is the computer different from other scientific instruments? Is computer simulation a valid form of scientific experiment? Can computer models be viewed as surrogate theories? How does the computer change the way scientists approach the notions of proof, expertise, and discovery? No comprehensive history of scientific computing has yet been written. This seminar examines scientific articles, participants’ memoirs, and works by historians, sociologists, and anthropologists of science to provide multiple perspectives on the use of computers in diverse fields of physical, biological, and social sciences and the humanities. We explore how the computer transformed scientific practice, and how the culture of computing was influenced, in turn, by scientific applications.

General Chemistry is a two-semester course (General Chemistry I, SCC 201 and General Chemistry II, SCC 202) required for majors in Biology and Environmental Sciences.
This lab experiment, aligned to LaGuardia Community College‰Ûªs Inquiry and Problem Solving Core Competency and Written Communication Ability was designed for General Chemistry I (SCC 201 Honors) course. Honors courses in LaGuardia emphasize critical thinking, analytical writing, and introduce students to research. This lab experiment provides an opportunity for students to engage in hands-on laboratory work, to develop laboratory skills, and to conduct research in the classroom by using two water soluble porphyrins to detect transition metal ions in a solution and on a paper support. Overall, this experiment was designed to meet the demand for undergraduate research experiences and to engage all the students in addressing a research question or problem that is of interest to the scientific community.
In order to demonstrate their learning, students write a formal lab report which includes an understanding of experiment procedures (methods and techniques), safety hazards, instrumentation, understanding of concepts and theories gained by performing the experiment, collecting data through observation and/or experimentation, interpretation of the data (Ultraviolet-visible spectra), analysis of the data in tables and graphs, and drawing conclusions and perspective from the experiment. The knowledge students gain during this lab experiment will be useful to connect with future chemistry courses and can also be utilized to do research. The lab write-up is deposited for the assessment of the Written Communication Ability to which SCC 201 is aligned.
This experiment also raises awareness about a global concern. Students detect transition metal ions in aqueous solutions by use of porphyrins. Due to rapid growth in technology and industrialization, transition metals are used in large amounts in a variety of electronic products. The improper preservation of the industrial wastes leads to accumulation of these metals into water resources, which can create danger to human health and the environment. Therefore, there is a need to carefully monitor and frequently detect transition metal ions content in the environment.
This lab experiment was implemented in an Honors section of General Chemistry SCC 201 and was worth about 3.5% of the final grade. The students are likely to spend 3 hours completing the experiment in the lab and another 3-4 hours completing the lab write-up.
The Program Goals that this assignment targets:
1. To provide training to the students in various lab techniques and how to utilize these techniques to conduct research.
The Student Learning Objective (s) that this assignment targets:
1. Students will have an enhanced conceptual understanding of the theory to practice relationship and will achieve higher level reasoning skills.
2. Students will be able to develop their practical competence in laboratory work.
3. Students will be able to collect data through observation and/or experimentation, preparation of solutions of known concentration, characterize the compounds by UV-vis spectra, and draw conclusions and perspective of the experiment.
4. Communicate their results through the formal lab report format of: Introduction, Chemicals, Procedure, Data, Discussion and References.
LaGuardia‰Ûªs Core Competencies and Communication Abilities
The Course Objective (s) that this assignment targets:
1. Based on the principles of environmental chemistry, students will be able to detect the transition metal ions using a porphyrin as a sensor and explore the complex connections between chemistry and real world issues.
2. Observe, collect, analyze and interpret experimental data and graph the UV visible spectra using Microsoft Excel.

This module includes an interactive acid-base titration that allows students to select an acid (general "strong" or several weak), initial concentration of the acid and base, and initial volume of the acid.  Then, students click on the virtual stopcock to add base.The curve is generated while the correct equation is highlighted for each part of the titration.

The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material.
7.012 focuses on the exploration of current research in cell biology, immunology, neurobiology, genomics, and molecular medicine.
Acknowledgments
The study materials, problem sets, and quiz materials used during Fall 2004 for 7.012 include contributions from past instructors, teaching assistants, and other members of the MIT Biology Department affiliated with course #7.012. Since the following works have evolved over a period of many years, no single source can be attributed.

Word Count: 67982

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