This is a knowledge base for MCAT content, specifically built around connected ideas. As an MCAT tutor, I’ve noticed that a lot of content gaps really stem from a lack of foundational understanding. The issue is: how far back do you have to go to rebuild that foundation?
My goal is to give you a starting point. This is meant to be a glossary but with a bit more information, specifically relevant to the MCAT and the conceptual links between topics.
I used this static-site-generator in particular because it has the graph view (which you will see on the upper right corner). I want to showcase just how interconnected the concepts are (yep, even physics), and how some ideas flow between different topics.
Why?
I noticed that a lot of MCAT concepts build upon one another. Catalyzing example: I met with a student who struggled with organic chemistry mechanisms. As I continued working with them, I realized that it stemmed from a fundamental lack of understanding of an atom. The MCAT tests difficult concepts, and that means that small misunderstandings in foundational topics can snowball.
It’s hard for someone to understand that myelin sheaths allow for saltatory conduction if they don’t understand that the neuron acts like a circuit, or if they just didn’t understand circuits. Even if they’ve technically learned both ideas, they still need to be able to connect them.
I want to help students build up that foundation in an efficient way while staying within the scope of the MCAT, so these concepts become more intuitive.
I’ve been making content for students for a long time, and each time I have a hard time showcasing the connections with just a sentence because what if the student didn’t understand that concept? When I found out about digital gardens, this felt like a solution. Linear notes are great for textbook-style content, but digital gardens can showcase branching connections.
Using this Site
To this end, I used this form of static site generator because it has what’s called a “Graph View”. In the upper right-hand side of each page, you’ll see a graph with interconnected nodes. If you hover over each node, you’ll see the different concepts this page links to.
The main page of each topic (like Endocrine System) has the major points that are part of the chapter. For example, on the Endocrine System page, if you go into the Peptide Hormones page, you’ll be able to see its specific mechanisms and cascades. If you just need a quick refresher, you can hover over the link and get a preview.
Hormone categorization
Hormones are categorized through:
- Their structure and mechanism
- Peptide Hormones
- Made of polar polypeptides
- Act extracellularly through G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs)
- Quick, short-lived responses
- Steroid Hormones
- Made of nonpolar cholesterol
- Bind to receptors inside the cell
- Slow, transient responses
- Amino-Acid Derived Hormones
- Their intended action
Many of the common axes (that we will go over) start with the hypothalamus.
Link to original
This resource isn’t meant to replace the textbook. It’s meant to be a supplementary tool, primarily when you’re in the review + practice phase. It’s something I wish I had, both as a student and a tutor. Even though I knew these ideas were interconnected, I had a hard time visualizing it. And honestly, making something like this is time consuming, and definitely not something I could’ve done while studying.
To that end, this is a project in progress. I started with the endocrine system because it feels like one of the most interconnected biology chapters, and it often trips up many of my students. I’ll work on the related notes and then branch off into other topics.