What this area covers
Pre-clinical medical science in Australian medical schools is assessed with written exams, often single best answer MCQs and short answers, plus practical or spot tests in anatomy. This page is for first and second year students and graduate-entry students who need the core science that clinical years build on.
High-yield topics
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrate metabolism | Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogen |
| Fasting and fed states | Insulin and glucagon, ketogenesis |
| Lipids | Lipoproteins, familial hypercholesterolaemia |
| Proteins and amino acids | Urea cycle, phenylketonuria |
| Enzymes | Kinetics, inhibition |
| Genetics | Inheritance patterns, DNA repair |
Worked example
Worked question · Metabolism
Which hormone stimulates ketone body production in fasting?
- A Glucagon
- B Insulin
- C Aldosterone
- D Calcitonin
- E Oxytocin
Show the reasoning
Answer A. Low insulin and high glucagon in fasting promote fatty acid oxidation and hepatic ketogenesis.
A short study plan
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Carbohydrate and lipid metabolism |
| 2 | Proteins, enzymes and the fasting state |
| 3 | Genetics and molecular biology |
Do a short timed set most days and review every explanation, including the options you ruled out.
Common traps
- Learning pathways without clinical context.
- Mixing inheritance patterns.
- Forgetting cofactors.
Free sample biochemistry questions
Questions from our Basic Science bank. Choose your answer, then open the explanation.
Which enzyme is the main rate-limiting step of glycolysis?
- APhosphofructokinase-1
- BHexokinase in every tissue
- CPyruvate kinase
- DGlucose-6-phosphatase
- EGlycogen phosphorylase in muscle
Show answer and explanation
Answer A. Phosphofructokinase-1 catalyses fructose-6-phosphate to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and is the key regulatory step, activated by AMP and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate and inhibited by ATP and citrate.
Learning point: Glycolysis rate-limiting step: PFK-1.
Which condition is caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion?
- AFragile X syndrome
- BHuntington disease
- CFriedreich ataxia
- DMyotonic dystrophy
- EDown syndrome (trisomy 21)
Show answer and explanation
Answer B. Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant CAG repeat disorder showing anticipation (earlier onset in successive generations, especially paternal transmission). Fragile X is CGG, myotonic dystrophy CTG, Friedreich ataxia GAA.
Learning point: Huntington: CAG repeat, autosomal dominant, anticipation.
Which metabolite rises in vitamin B12 deficiency but not in folate deficiency?
- AAmmonia (raised blood level)
- BHomocysteine
- CMethylmalonic acid
- DLactate
- EUric acid
Show answer and explanation
Answer C. Both B12 and folate deficiency raise homocysteine. Only B12 deficiency raises methylmalonic acid, because B12 is a cofactor for methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. B12 deficiency can cause subacute combined degeneration of the cord.
Learning point: B12 deficiency: raised MMA and homocysteine; folate: only homocysteine.
Practise more biochemistry questions free
Every biochemistry subtopic in our bank
The bank holds 15 biochemistry questions across 15 subtopics. You can filter by any of them, build a custom block and track your accuracy subtopic by subtopic.
- Cholesterol synthesis1
- DNA repair defects1
- Down syndrome1
- Fat-soluble vitamins1
- G6PD deficiency1
- Glycolysis rate-limiting enzyme1
- Haemoglobin structure1
- Inheritance patterns1
- Iron absorption1
- Ketone bodies1
- Lysosomal storage1
- Thiamine1
- Trinucleotide repeats1
- Urea cycle1
- Vitamin B12 deficiency1
Common questions
Do clinicians use biochemistry?
Yes: diabetes, lipids, inborn errors and nutrition all rely on it.
How much detail is needed?
Focus on key regulatory steps and disease links.
Sources
Clinical content is summarised from current Australian guidance at the date above. Guidelines change, so always check the latest edition.
- Australian Medical Council: Graduate outcome statements
- Standard medical science texts