In college for a biology or related do we have to memorize cellular respiration exact steps and names?

Question

Like for glycolysis there is actually 10 steps. Do we have to memorize that in college or is that for med school? What about the 8 steps in Krebs cycle, do we have to know the names like Oxaloacetate, Citrate, the order of the compounds?

I mean because I know that glycolysis makes 2 ATP, 2 NADH. formation of acetyl CoA 2 NADH, krebs cycle 2 ATP, 2 FADH2, 6 NADH, oxidative phophorylation 34 ATP

Answer 1

There are very few MDs out there that can recall all of the steps of glycolysis from memory. It's not clinically useful. If you are going into research as a biochemist, then yes you will have to memorize the whole thing. I've had several biochem classes and in each it was more important to learn what the dynamics are at the critical steps rather than learn all of them in sequence.

In the end none of it is that useful in a hospital setting, it's purely academic.

Answer 2

I went to a very selective college and we had to memorize every step. I now teach at a run-of-the-mill college, and I don't make my students learn every step. Focus on what goes into each step of the process (e.g, in glycolysis, glucose---->2 pyruvate), where these steps occur, and keep track of the high energy intermediates (ATP, NADH and FADH2). Better yet, ask your teacher about the level of detail that he or she expects you to know.

Answer 3

Yes you definitely have to memorize cellular respiration steps, formulas, names, everything. It's just part of the course. It's just like with the endocrine system you have to memorize all the hormones released from like the pituitary and the adrenal medulla and all of the glands. Along with biology comes chemisty. You have to memorize those formulas. Sorry.

Answer 4

do you have to memorize the alphabets now...my dear they becomes your language