Biochem is 50% vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, Folate, B12). Sketchy embeds the vitamin as a "tool" or "weapon" in the scene. You stop asking "What does B1 do?" and start seeing the tire swinging in the scene whenever you think of decarboxylation reactions. The Critiques: Where the Metaphor Gets Strained 1. The "Crowded Canvas" Problem Microbiology scenes usually have 5-10 symbols. A biochem scene (e.g., the Urea Cycle or Glycogen Storage Diseases) might have 30-40 symbols crammed into a single image. The cognitive load shifts from "easy recall" to "Where is Waldo with enzymes." Students often report needing to pause the video every 10 seconds to parse the scene.
Learn the pathway logically from a textbook or video lecture. Then, watch the Sketchy to burn the disease associations and vitamin cofactors into your visual cortex. If you do that, you will never confuse Biotin with B6 again. And for the biochem-weary medical student, that peace of mind is worth the price. Sketchy Medical Biochemistry
Sketchy Biochem attempts to solve this by applying the same "Memory Palace" technique to metabolic pathways. Instead of a generic diagram of the mitochondria, they build a visual universe—docks, factories, construction sites, and jungles—where every character and prop represents an enzyme, vitamin, or disease. 1. The "Big Picture" Integration Traditional biochem teaching isolates pathways (Glycolysis, then TCA, then ETC). Sketchy links them. In their universe, the "Glycolysis" ship docks at the "Pyruvate Dehydrogenase" pier, which feeds into the "Citric Acid Cycle" factory. This visual continuity helps students realize that metabolism is a loop, not a list. Biochem is 50% vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, Folate, B12)