Genetics and gene expression
DNA, RNA, protein synthesis, regulation, and mutation consequences.
Genetics is the system that converts information into function. On the MCAT, you are tested on whether you can follow the information flow and predict how a change in DNA changes a protein, how that changes a cell, and how that becomes a symptom. The exam rewards you for thinking in chains rather than isolated facts. If you can narrate DNA to RNA to protein and insert regulation at each step, you can solve nearly any genetics passage.
- DNA stores stable information; RNA is the working copy
- Protein structure determines function
- Regulation controls timing and location of expression
- Mutations cascade to system-level effects
- Track the full chain from gene to phenotype
Choose a common genetic change (missense, nonsense, or regulatory). Write one sentence describing how it would change protein function and one sentence describing the system-level effect.
Generate a short quiz from this lesson. Choose the formats you want, then run it.
Use this for step-by-step support. This is learning-first and shows reasoning.
Official MCAT overview from AAMC (link-only).
Official free planning resources (link-only).
Register for the official free MCAT practice exam (link-only).
Official MCAT content outline (link-only).
External Khan Academy MCAT content. Link-only with attribution.
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