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MCAT Available Fall 2026

MCAT^® Biological Biochemical Foundations

The course teaches the core biological and biochemical concepts underlying living systems, from amino acids and enzymes to metabolism, genetics, cell signaling, and major organ systems, preparing students for MCAT Section 1.

Who Should Take This

It is ideal for undergraduate pre‑medical or life‑science majors who have completed two semesters of general chemistry, two semesters of introductory biology, and one semester of organic chemistry, and who aim to master MCAT‑level biochemistry. These learners seek a focused, exam‑oriented review that integrates molecular mechanisms with physiological context.

What's Included in AccelaStudy® AI

Adaptive Knowledge Graph

Practice Questions

Lesson Modules

Console Simulator Labs

Exam Tips & Strategy

20 Activity Formats

Course Outline

74 learning goals

1 Amino Acids, Proteins, and Enzymes

3 topics

Amino Acid Structure and Properties

Identify the general structure of amino acids including the amino group, carboxyl group, alpha carbon, hydrogen, and R group, and classify the twenty standard amino acids by side chain polarity and charge at physiological pH.
Explain how amino acid side chain properties including hydrophobicity, charge, and hydrogen-bonding capacity determine protein folding, stability, and intermolecular interactions in aqueous environments.
Analyze how point mutations that substitute amino acids with different side chain properties alter protein structure and function, using examples such as sickle cell hemoglobin.

Protein Structure and Function

Describe the four levels of protein structure including primary sequence, secondary alpha-helices and beta-sheets, tertiary folding driven by hydrophobic interactions, and quaternary subunit assembly.
Predict how changes in temperature, pH, or ionic strength denature proteins by disrupting noncovalent interactions while preserving covalent peptide bonds and disulfide bridges.

Enzyme Kinetics and Regulation

Describe the Michaelis-Menten model of enzyme kinetics including the significance of Km, Vmax, kcat, and catalytic efficiency in characterizing enzyme-substrate interactions.
Apply Lineweaver-Burk double-reciprocal plots to distinguish competitive, uncompetitive, and noncompetitive inhibition by analyzing changes in apparent Km and Vmax values.
Evaluate how allosteric regulation, covalent modification such as phosphorylation, and zymogen activation coordinate enzyme activity to meet cellular metabolic demands under varying physiological conditions.

2 Metabolism and Bioenergetics

4 topics

Glycolysis and Gluconeogenesis

List the key regulatory enzymes of glycolysis including hexokinase, phosphofructokinase-1, and pyruvate kinase, and describe their roles as committed steps controlling glucose catabolism.
Calculate the net ATP yield from glycolysis under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and explain the role of lactate dehydrogenase in regenerating NAD+ during fermentation.
Compare the reciprocal regulation of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis by insulin, glucagon, and allosteric effectors such as fructose-2,6-bisphosphate and ATP/AMP ratios.

Citric Acid Cycle

Describe the steps of the citric acid cycle including substrate inputs, CO2 release, and production of NADH, FADH2, and GTP per turn of the cycle.
Explain how acetyl-CoA from fatty acid oxidation, amino acid catabolism, and pyruvate dehydrogenase feeds into the citric acid cycle linking diverse catabolic pathways.

Oxidative Phosphorylation and Electron Transport Chain

Identify the four electron transport chain complexes, their electron carriers, and the role of oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor in the inner mitochondrial membrane.
Apply the chemiosmotic model to explain how the proton gradient generated by electron transport drives ATP synthase to produce ATP via oxidative phosphorylation.
Analyze the effects of uncouplers such as 2,4-dinitrophenol and inhibitors such as cyanide and oligomycin on the proton gradient, oxygen consumption, and ATP production rates.

Lipid and Amino Acid Metabolism

Describe the process of beta-oxidation of fatty acids including activation, transport via the carnitine shuttle, and the per-cycle yield of NADH, FADH2, and acetyl-CoA.
Explain how amino acids are catabolized through transamination and oxidative deamination, and classify amino acids as glucogenic, ketogenic, or both based on their metabolic fate.
Evaluate how metabolic integration coordinates carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid pathways during fed, fasting, and starvation states through hormonal and allosteric regulation.

3 Molecular Biology and Genetics

5 topics

DNA Replication and Repair

Describe the semiconservative mechanism of DNA replication including the roles of helicase, primase, DNA polymerase III, ligase, and the distinction between leading and lagging strand synthesis.
Explain how mismatch repair, base excision repair, and nucleotide excision repair mechanisms correct DNA damage and maintain genomic integrity across cell divisions.

Transcription and RNA Processing

Identify the components of prokaryotic and eukaryotic transcription including RNA polymerases, promoters, transcription factors, and termination signals for mRNA synthesis.
Explain eukaryotic post-transcriptional modifications including 5-prime capping, 3-prime polyadenylation, and alternative splicing, and predict how splicing errors alter protein products.

Translation and Post-Translational Modification

Describe the process of translation including ribosome assembly, tRNA charging, codon-anticodon pairing, peptide bond formation, and the roles of initiation, elongation, and termination factors.
Apply knowledge of the genetic code to predict how frameshift, nonsense, and missense mutations in DNA alter the resulting amino acid sequence and protein function.

Gene Regulation and Biotechnology

Describe the lac and trp operon models of prokaryotic gene regulation including the roles of repressors, inducers, corepressors, and positive regulation by CAP-cAMP.
Explain eukaryotic gene regulation at the epigenetic level including DNA methylation, histone acetylation, chromatin remodeling, and their effects on transcriptional activation and silencing.
Analyze applications of biotechnology techniques including PCR amplification, gel electrophoresis, restriction enzymes, recombinant DNA cloning, and CRISPR gene editing in research and diagnostics.

Mendelian and Population Genetics

State the laws of segregation and independent assortment and define key terms including genotype, phenotype, homozygous, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive alleles.
Apply Punnett squares and probability rules to predict offspring genotype and phenotype ratios for monohybrid, dihybrid, and sex-linked crosses.
Differentiate non-Mendelian inheritance patterns including incomplete dominance, codominance, epistasis, pleiotropy, polygenic inheritance, and mitochondrial inheritance with specific trait examples.
Apply the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation to calculate allele and genotype frequencies in a population and identify conditions that cause deviation such as selection, drift, migration, and nonrandom mating.

4 Cell Biology and Cell Signaling

4 topics

Cell Structure and Organelles

Identify the structure and function of major eukaryotic organelles including the nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, peroxisomes, and cytoskeleton components.
Compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structures and explain the endosymbiotic theory for the origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts based on structural and genetic evidence.

Membrane Structure and Transport

Describe the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane including phospholipid bilayer composition, integral and peripheral proteins, cholesterol, and glycoproteins.
Classify membrane transport mechanisms as passive diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport, or vesicular transport and predict the direction of solute movement based on concentration and electrochemical gradients.
Analyze how osmotic pressure, tonicity, and the sodium-potassium ATPase pump affect cell volume, membrane potential, and secondary active transport in epithelial cells.

Cell Signaling Pathways

Identify the components of cell signaling cascades including ligands, receptors, G-proteins, second messengers such as cAMP, IP3, and calcium, and downstream kinase effectors.
Explain how receptor tyrosine kinases activate the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway and how dysregulation of this pathway contributes to oncogenesis and uncontrolled cell proliferation.
Evaluate how signal amplification, feedback inhibition, and cross-talk between signaling pathways enable cells to integrate multiple extracellular signals into coordinated cellular responses.

Cell Cycle, Mitosis, and Meiosis

Describe the phases of the cell cycle including G1, S, G2, and M phases, and identify the roles of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases, and checkpoint mechanisms in regulating cell division.
Compare the processes and outcomes of mitosis and meiosis including chromosome segregation, crossing over, independent assortment, and nondisjunction resulting in aneuploidy.
Explain how tumor suppressors such as p53 and Rb and proto-oncogenes regulate the cell cycle and how their mutation leads to loss of growth control in cancer cells.

5 Organ Systems: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Renal

3 topics

Cardiovascular System

Describe the anatomy of the heart including chambers, valves, coronary circulation, and the cardiac conduction system from the SA node through the Purkinje fibers.
Apply concepts of cardiac output, stroke volume, blood pressure, and total peripheral resistance to predict hemodynamic changes during exercise, hemorrhage, and heart failure.
Differentiate the components and functions of blood including erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, plasma proteins, and the clotting cascade in hemostasis and thrombosis.

Respiratory System

Describe the anatomy of the respiratory tract and explain the mechanics of ventilation including the roles of the diaphragm, pleural pressure, and surfactant in lung compliance.
Apply the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve to predict oxygen loading and unloading under varying conditions of pH, temperature, PCO2, and 2,3-BPG concentration (Bohr effect).

Renal System

Identify the structural components of the nephron including glomerulus, Bowman's capsule, proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule, and collecting duct and their respective functions in urine formation.
Explain how the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, antidiuretic hormone, and atrial natriuretic peptide regulate blood pressure, blood volume, and electrolyte balance through renal mechanisms.
Analyze how the kidneys maintain acid-base homeostasis through bicarbonate reabsorption, hydrogen ion secretion, and ammonium excretion in response to metabolic and respiratory acid-base disturbances.

6 Organ Systems: Gastrointestinal, Musculoskeletal, and Integumentary

2 topics

Gastrointestinal System

List the major digestive organs and their secretions including salivary amylase, pepsin, pancreatic enzymes, bile salts, and intestinal brush border enzymes and their specific substrates.
Explain how the liver processes absorbed nutrients including first-pass metabolism, bile synthesis, urea cycle operation, and glycogen storage and mobilization.
Analyze how hormonal regulation by gastrin, secretin, cholecystokinin, and GIP coordinates digestive secretions, motility, and nutrient absorption across the gastrointestinal tract.

Musculoskeletal System

Describe the sliding filament model of muscle contraction including the roles of actin, myosin, tropomyosin, troponin, calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and ATP hydrolysis.
Compare the structural and functional differences among skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle types including innervation, contraction mechanisms, and fatigue resistance.

7 Endocrine and Nervous Systems

3 topics

Endocrine System

Identify the major endocrine glands and their hormones including the hypothalamus, anterior and posterior pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal cortex and medulla, pancreatic islets, and gonads.
Explain how negative feedback loops regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes and predict the effects of hyper- and hyposecretion on target organ function.
Analyze the interplay between insulin and glucagon in blood glucose homeostasis and evaluate how type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus disrupt this regulatory balance.

Nervous System Structure and Function

Describe neuron structure including dendrites, axon, myelin sheath, and synaptic terminals, and state the ionic basis of resting membrane potential and action potential generation and propagation.
Explain synaptic transmission including neurotransmitter release, receptor binding, excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, and reuptake and degradation of neurotransmitters.
Differentiate the structural and functional divisions of the nervous system including the central and peripheral nervous systems, somatic and autonomic divisions, and sympathetic versus parasympathetic branches.

Sensory Systems

Describe the structures and mechanisms of the eye including the cornea, lens, retina, rods, cones, and the phototransduction cascade that converts light into neural signals.
Explain the mechanisms of hearing including sound wave transmission through the outer, middle, and inner ear, basilar membrane tonotopy, and hair cell transduction in the organ of Corti.

8 Immune System and Reproductive System

2 topics

Innate and Adaptive Immunity

Identify the components of innate immunity including physical barriers, phagocytes, natural killer cells, complement system, and inflammatory mediators that provide nonspecific defense.
Explain the mechanisms of adaptive immunity including antigen presentation via MHC I and MHC II, clonal selection, T cell activation, B cell differentiation into plasma and memory cells, and antibody structure and function.
Evaluate how active and passive immunity, vaccination, and immunodeficiency disorders including HIV infection demonstrate the principles of immune memory and tolerance.

Reproductive System and Development

Describe the anatomy and physiology of male and female reproductive systems including spermatogenesis, oogenesis, the menstrual cycle hormonal regulation, and the roles of FSH, LH, estrogen, and progesterone.
Explain the stages of embryonic development from fertilization through gastrulation including cleavage, blastulation, implantation, and the formation of primary germ layers and their tissue derivatives.

9 Evolution and Microbiology

2 topics

Evolution and Natural Selection

Define natural selection, sexual selection, kin selection, and inclusive fitness, and describe how differential reproductive success drives allele frequency changes in populations over time.
Analyze how speciation occurs through geographic isolation, reproductive barriers, and adaptive radiation, and interpret phylogenetic trees to determine evolutionary relationships among taxa.

Microbiology and Infectious Disease

Describe the structure and classification of viruses including DNA and RNA genomes, enveloped and non-enveloped forms, and the lytic and lysogenic replication cycles in bacteriophages.
Explain bacterial growth phases, mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer including transformation, transduction, and conjugation, and how antibiotic resistance arises and spreads in bacterial populations.
Evaluate the mechanisms by which pathogens evade host immune defenses including antigenic variation, intracellular survival, biofilm formation, and immune suppression strategies.

Scope

Included Topics

AAMC MCAT Section 1: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, covering biology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry as applied to living systems.
Amino acid structure and classification, protein folding and function, enzyme kinetics (Michaelis-Menten, Lineweaver-Burk, competitive and noncompetitive inhibition), enzyme regulation (allosteric, covalent modification, zymogens).
Metabolism: glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate pathway, citric acid cycle (TCA), oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport chain, fatty acid oxidation and synthesis, amino acid catabolism, metabolic regulation and integration.
Molecular biology: DNA replication, repair and recombination, transcription (prokaryotic and eukaryotic), RNA processing, translation, post-translational modifications, gene regulation (operons, enhancers, epigenetics), biotechnology (PCR, gel electrophoresis, blotting, cloning, CRISPR).
Cell biology: cell organelles and their functions, membrane structure and transport (passive, active, vesicular), cell signaling pathways (G-protein, receptor tyrosine kinase, second messengers), cell cycle and mitosis, meiosis, apoptosis.
Organ systems: cardiovascular (heart structure, hemodynamics, blood components), respiratory (gas exchange, ventilation mechanics), renal (nephron function, acid-base balance), gastrointestinal (digestion, absorption, liver function), musculoskeletal (muscle contraction, bone remodeling), endocrine (hormones, feedback loops, hypothalamic-pituitary axis), nervous system (neuron structure, action potentials, synaptic transmission, CNS and PNS organization), immune system (innate and adaptive immunity, antibodies, MHC, complement), reproductive system (gametogenesis, fertilization, embryonic development).
Genetics: Mendelian genetics (dominance, segregation, independent assortment), non-Mendelian inheritance (incomplete dominance, codominance, epistasis, polygenic traits, sex-linked), population genetics (Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, genetic drift, gene flow), molecular genetics (mutations, chromosomal abnormalities).
Evolution: natural selection, speciation, phylogenetics, molecular evolution, fitness and adaptation.
Microbiology: virus structure and replication, bacterial structure and growth, fungi and parasites, pathogenesis and virulence factors.

Not Covered

Advanced graduate-level biochemistry beyond MCAT scope (e.g., advanced X-ray crystallography techniques, detailed NMR structural analysis of proteins).
Clinical medicine, pharmacology, and therapeutic interventions beyond basic mechanism of action.
Plant biology, ecology, and environmental science (not tested on MCAT Section 1).
Detailed organic reaction mechanisms (covered in Section 2: Chemical and Physical Foundations).
Psychology, sociology, and behavioral science (covered in Section 3).
CARS reading comprehension strategies (covered in Section 4).