I'm flunking bio right now because I just bombed my test on cellular respiration . I vaguely undrstand glycolysis but there is a question I don't understand at all: is it "what are the reactants and products of the formation of acetic acid? Where does it occur?" I can't find the answer ANYWHERE in my textbook or online and my teacher never checks her email. Thanks to anyone who would like to help me!!

I`m no biology wiz, but would methanol and carbon monoxide be it? Where it occurs, I would guess in chemical industries by methanol carbonylation. I`m not much of help, but here`s a bit of information on general chemistry: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/pdf/aceticacid.pdf

Acetic acid is an intermediate product in complete ethanol metabolism. The full pathway is:
C2H6O (ethanol) --> C2H4O (acetaldehyde) --> C2H4O2 (acetic acid) --> acetyl-CoA --> 3H2O+2CO2.

IIRC, in humans the process also stops at acetic acid, which can be eliminated normally, and at acetyl-CoA, which can enter the TCA (Krebs) Cycle.

Ok thank you very much! How long did it take for you to understand this stuff? No matter how many times I read the chapters and look things up online I just can't memorize it- am I just not cut out for this stuff?

How long did it take? Well, I'm 37, have two bachelors degrees and am in the middle of a masters. It's possible that your studying methods don't correspond to whatever learning style benefits you. There are better ways than just reading books and websites.

inkaStepa wrote:Ok thank you very much! How long did it take for you to understand this stuff? No matter how many times I read the chapters and look things up online I just can't memorize it- am I just not cut out for this stuff?

Do not worry about memorization, Inksteppa, learn what happens in terms of the reaction itself if possible, and the enzymes involved, I found that worked for me better than memorizing the stuff, Biochemistry was, for added information, one of my majors.

If you have a copy of your curriculum that you could post I could help you devise a few strategies towards learning the material.

Biology/Life Chapter 1
Chemistry Chapter 2, 3 &4
Chemistry Chapter 2, 3 &4
Biochemistry Chapter 5
Biochemistry Chapter 5

The Cell Chapter 6
Membrane Chapter 7
Metabolism Chapter 8
Cellular Respiration Chapter 9
Photosynthesis Chapter 10

The Cell Cycle Chapter 12
Meiosis Chapter 13
Classical Genetics Chapter 14
Classical Genetics Chapter 15

The final lectures cover the topics listed to the right. Text pages accompany the topic.
Molecular Basis of InheritanceChapter 16
From Gene to Protein Chapter 17
From Gene to Protein Chapter 17

I'm in the final lecture series right now and failing horribly. I'll have to take the class again in the spring or else I get kicked out of the bio program. I really like science but I'm worried that I'm not smart enough to pursue it. Any tips would be great because I really need them.

and which textbook are you using?

It's an 8th edition, Campbell & Reece, Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co.

Start a thread somewhere, inka, where you can post questions about everything you need help with, and I will spend some time helping you work through the material. As far as learning strategies themselves are concerned, try mind mapping for note-taking if it helps.