Comments

  1. Kevin Kehres says

    Oh god, the Krebs cycle. I just got an actual case of the “willies”.

    Those poor, poor students.

  2. razzlefrog says

    So…I feel like this is a silly enough post for me to derail the conversation in a damage-free way. I was wondering…what happened to the merch? I wanted to buy a shirt just now, and all I could find were books. (Which, yes, yes, are great, I know, and worth buying, but you must understand: I’m loaded to my eyelashes in them and if you wear The Happy Atheist instead of clothes ONE TIME suddenly you’re “indecent” and “a bad influence on the children”.)

  3. rq says

    Used to know this backwards and forwards in colour-coded ink.
    Now? A blur of letters that seem vaguely familiar, like walking past an acquaintance on the street without my glasses on. I liked knowing it; I’m rather sad I don’t anymore, but it’s not like (a) I would use it daily or (b) been practicing.

  4. Island Adolescent says

    I’m glad my focus is ecology. Even a silly rap song can’t make me enjoy molecular pathways.

  5. sawells says

    Hey, I just got a paper published on one of those enzymes! DOI: 10.1002/prot.24630 – obviously you’ll have to update all the material now :)

  6. Menyambal says

    Wow. I just scored a $50 shirt, new with tag, from a thrift shop for $4, yesterday, and I could not make it halfway through that song. Anyone who ever understood all that information has my admiration.

  7. carlie says

    razzlefrog – the owner of the shop is currently in the middle of a move, so might have taken the shop down temporarily.

    This was adorable. My only tiny quibble is that I would have changed the rhythm of the chorus to put “li’l glucose” together fast, then stretch out “in -my – pathway” instead of stretching out “glucose”. not that I could have done any of that.
    (oh, and Krebs is the name, so no apostrophe)

  8. bondjamesbond says

    Thanks PZ:

    Here are a few more notes that some may find of interest:

    The 10 Step Glycolysis Pathway In ATP Production: An Overview – video
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kn6BVGqKd8

    At the 14:00 minute mark of the following video, Chris Ashcraft, PhD – molecular biology, gives us an overview of the Citric Acid Cycle, which is, after the 10 step Glycolysis Pathway, also involved in ATP production:

    Evolution vs ATP Synthase – Chris Ashcraft – video – citric acid cycle at 14:00 minute mark

    The Citric Acid Cycle: An Overview – video
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6vQKrRjQcQ

    The Citric Acid Cycle: The Reactions – video
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cXVleFtzeE

    Glycolysis and the Citric Acid Cycle: The Control of Proteins and Pathways – Cornelius Hunter – July 2011

    Here is a ‘horrendously complex’ metabolic pathway map that has recently been updated:
    ExPASy – Biochemical Pathways – interactive schematic
    http://biochemical-pathways.com/#/map/1

  9. consciousness razor says

    My only tiny quibble is that I would have changed the rhythm of the chorus to put “li’l glucose” together fast, then stretch out “in -my – pathway” instead of stretching out “glucose”. not that I could have done any of that.

    Really, that’s it? The MIDI sax loop makes me want to strangle somebody. But I think I’ll just get more coffee instead.

  10. says

    The NDSU animations are useful (I use them in class myself), but if you are going to continue to spread that fucking bullshit from creationist conferences, you will be banned. Ashcraft and Hunter are idiots, and I will not allow you to turn my blog into a vehicle for spreading misinformation.

  11. Jack Krebs says

    Noooo! It’s Krebs’ cycle, not Kreb’s cycle! This is an error that I am personally a bit sensitive to. :-)

  12. Jack Krebs says

    Actually, it’s just the Krebs cycle, but if they’re going to use the possessive, they ought to at least use it correctly.

  13. Charles Thornton says

    The problem with this is there are no handlebars.

    And to think they introduced it for “A” Level biology (the exam for 18 year olds) {{shudders}}

  14. UnknownEric the Apostate says

    Now I’m singing “writin’ exams, writin’ exams” to the tune of “Breakin’ The Law.”

  15. ragdish says

    Really cool! Back in med school we did glycolysis and Kreb’s cycle to the tune of Modern Major General in Pirates of Penzance. Really helped for the Biochem finals.

  16. epicurus says

    Well, this certainly clarified things for me. Good thing I didn’t waste my time with all that “biology education” stuff your students are now suffering through. When do I get my Ph.D? Just kidding, I love alternative teaching methods, and mnemonics really work! Gotta run, almost time to put some more glucose in my pathways.

  17. says

    Ooh, I remember the monster poster “chemical pathways”.
    A while back I came across an old book of mine (molecular cell biology) highlighted most of the way through – the bits covered by the exam I guess. I started reading somewhere at random and I could have sworn I’ve never heard of the stuff before. But for that exam I knew it down to the molecular weights of the enzymes: I found my cheat sheet list of those too…

  18. otrame says

    When I got to the point in Bio 101 where I actually understood the Krebs cycle I almost cried at how incredibly beautiful it was. I no longer remember it, mind you, but I do remember the beauty.