DIFF.MDCAT

Chapter-wise revision · Biology · Chemistry · Physics · English

All MDCAT revision notes.

A compact, organised reading pass built from your uploaded study themes and the PMDC chapter sequence. Expand any chapter for its essentials.

16 chapters

Biology

1. Acellular life
  • Viruses are acellular obligate intracellular parasites; classify by nucleic acid, capsid/envelope and host.
  • HIV is an enveloped RNA retrovirus; it targets CD4 helper T cells and causes AIDS.
2. Bioenergetics
  • Glucose is the usual respiratory substrate; fats and proteins can also enter respiration after conversion.
  • Aerobic respiration yields far more ATP than anaerobic respiration.
3. Biological molecules
  • Water is polar, a solvent and reagent, with high specific heat and cohesion.
  • Carbohydrates: mono-, oligo- and polysaccharides; proteins are amino-acid polymers; lipids include triglycerides and phospholipids.
  • DNA is double helical; a gene is a nucleotide sequence that codes for a polypeptide.
4. Cell structure & function
  • Compare plant/animal and prokaryotic/eukaryotic cells.
  • Nucleus controls cell activities; ER synthesises/transports; Golgi modifies/packages; mitochondria generate ATP.
5. Coordination & control
  • Receptors are transducers. A neuron has cell body, dendrites and axon; myelin increases impulse speed.
  • Know reflex arc, brain regions and the role of endocrine coordination.
6. Enzymes
  • Enzymes are biological catalysts with specific active sites.
  • Temperature, pH and substrate concentration affect rate; competitive inhibitors compete at the active site.
7. Evolution
  • Lamarck proposed inheritance of acquired characters; Darwin proposed natural selection.
  • Darwin drew on population pressure and variation; Wallace independently reached natural selection.
8. Reproduction
  • FSH supports spermatogenesis; LH/ICSH stimulates Leydig cells; inhibin from Sertoli cells inhibits FSH.
  • Egg coverings outside to inside: corona radiata, zona pellucida, plasma membrane.
9. Support & movement
  • Osteoblasts build bone and become osteocytes; osteoclasts resorb bone.
  • Cartilage chiefly has type II collagen; bone chiefly has type I collagen.
10. Inheritance
  • Mendel: segregation and independent assortment; linkage can counter independent assortment.
  • Crossing over in prophase I creates recombination; haemophilia is an X-linked recessive example.
11. Circulation
  • Arteries carry blood away, veins return it and capillaries permit exchange.
  • Lymph returns tissue fluid, transports absorbed fats and contributes to immunity.
12. Immunity
  • B cells mature in bone marrow; T cells mature in thymus.
  • MHC I presents to CD8 cells; MHC II presents to CD4 helper cells. Antibodies have two antigen-binding sites.
13. Respiration
  • Gas exchange occurs by diffusion across alveolar and capillary walls.
  • Smoking damages airways/alveoli and reduces effective gas exchange.
14. Digestion
  • Parotid is the largest salivary gland; sublingual saliva is mainly mucous and amylase-deficient.
  • Fresh saliva is approximately pH 8 in the Punjab textbook; lacteals absorb fats into lymph.
15. Homeostasis
  • Urine formation: filtration, selective reabsorption and secretion.
  • Selective reabsorption is highly selective and returns useful solutes according to body needs.
16. Biotechnology
  • Recombinant DNA and gene therapy use molecular techniques to address inherited disease.
  • SCID is classically linked with deficiency of adenosine deaminase (ADA).

20 chapters

Chemistry

1. Atomic structure
  • Use protons, neutrons and electrons to determine atomic number, mass number and isotopes.
  • Electronic configuration governs periodic position and chemical behaviour.
2. Chemical bonding
  • Ionic bonding transfers electrons; covalent bonding shares them; metallic bonding has delocalised electrons.
  • Intermolecular forces control melting/boiling point and vapour pressure.
3. Stoichiometry
  • n = mass/molar mass; N = nNA; use balanced equations for mole ratios.
  • At STP, one mole of an ideal gas occupies approximately 22.4 dm³.
4. States & phases
  • Gas laws describe fixed amounts of gas; keep number of moles constant.
  • Higher vapour pressure corresponds to weaker intermolecular attractions.
5. Energetics
  • Exothermic reactions release heat; endothermic reactions absorb heat.
  • Use q = mcΔT for calorimetry questions.
6. Chemical kinetics
  • Rate rises with temperature, concentration, surface area and catalysts.
  • Catalysts lower activation energy without changing equilibrium position.
7. Chemical equilibrium
  • At dynamic equilibrium, forward and reverse rates are equal.
  • Le Châtelier’s principle predicts shifts after changes in concentration, pressure or temperature.
8. Acids, bases & salts
  • pH measures hydrogen-ion concentration; buffers resist a pH change.
  • A basic buffer contains a weak base and its salt, e.g. NH₄OH/NH₄Cl.
9. Solutions
  • Solubility and Ksp describe saturated ionic equilibria.
  • A common ion generally decreases solubility.
10. Electrochemistry
  • Oxidation occurs at anode and reduction at cathode.
  • Ag⁺ is reduced more readily than Cu²⁺ under standard conditions.
11. Periodicity
  • Atomic radius generally falls and ionisation energy generally rises across a period.
  • Reactivity trends depend on electron loss/gain and shielding.
12. s- and p-block elements
  • Know common oxidation states, trends and key reactions of Groups 1, 2, 13–18.
  • Noble gases are comparatively unreactive due to filled outer shells.
13. Fundamentals of organic chemistry
  • Functional groups determine characteristic reactions; isomers share a molecular formula but differ structurally.
  • sp carbon in a terminal alkyne explains its relative acidity.
14. Hydrocarbons
  • Alkanes undergo free-radical substitution in heat/UV; alkenes undergo electrophilic addition.
  • Benzene is aromatic and relatively stable; HI adds most readily to alkenes among HX.
15. Alkyl halides
  • Nucleophilic substitution replaces halide; elimination forms an alkene.
  • SN1 is stepwise via carbocation; SN2 is one-step backside attack.
16. Alcohols & phenols
  • Alcohols form esters and ethers; oxidation depends on whether alcohol is primary, secondary or tertiary.
  • Fischer esterification is a condensation: acid + alcohol → ester + water.
17. Aldehydes & ketones
  • Aldehydes give Tollens’ silver-mirror test; methyl ketones can give iodoform test.
  • Cannizzaro reaction occurs in aldehydes without α-hydrogen.
18. Carboxylic acids
  • Carboxylic acids are weak acids and form esters with alcohols.
  • In an ester, acid −OH is replaced by −OR from alcohol.
19. Macromolecules
  • Proteins have primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structural levels.
  • α-helix and β-pleated sheet are secondary structures; enzymes are protein biocatalysts.
20. Industrial chemistry
  • Addition polymers arise from unsaturated monomers; condensation polymers eliminate small molecules.
  • PVC is a thermoplastic homopolymer; epichlorohydrin + bisphenol A forms epoxy resin.

16 full units already available

Physics

Physics unit notes
  • The Notes hub already contains detailed PMDC-aligned pages for Units 1–16, each with outcomes and formula sheets.
  • Use the Physics cards below this page for vectors through nuclear physics, then take the linked unit quiz.

Vocabulary + core skills

English

English revision
  • Existing Notes contains 200 vocabulary words with Urdu meanings and synonyms.
  • For contextual meanings, choose the sense that fits the complete phrase; check subject–verb and pronoun–antecedent agreement first.
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