Peer Review

Metabolic Minimaps

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Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This compilation of metabolic pathway illustrations and animations is hosted by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biochemistry. The maps were created by the late Dr. Donald Nicholson, who passed away in 2012. The site includes two large-scale charts: Metabolic Pathyways and Inborn Errors of Metabolism, as well as multiple "minimaps" that illustrate individual metabolic pathways.
Type of Material:: Collection
Recommended Uses:: Reference material for completing assignments and preparing for quizzes and exams
Technical Requirements:: All illustrations are available in GIF, SVG and PDF format. The animations require Flash.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: No specific learning outcomes are provided for students. However, users of this resource will be able to see at a glance the detailed and sequential flow of metabolic pathways and the enzymes that catalyze the reaction
Target Student Population:: Upper division, Graduate level Biology and Chemistry students. In particular useful for students in introductory biochemistry or cellular/molecular biology courses or those preparing for board exams that may draw on this material.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Basic knowledge of biochemical metabolic pathways and an understanding of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) Biochemical & Organic Nomenclature, Symbols & Terminology.

Rating:

Strengths:

The larger metabolic pathways and inborn errors of metabolism maps do a wonderful job of illustrating the connections between the individual metabolic pathways
Each pathway is clearly labeled and illustrated; the smaller minimaps provide contextualizing information such as the organs/organelles and membranes involved
The information is current, and relevant

Concerns:

This resource is not particularly flexible: it is simply a reference material. Some of the pathways are explained in detail via the animations, while others are simply drawn
Many of the charts were last updated in 2002. I am not current enough on my biochemistry to know if there have been major changes in our understanding of these pathways over the past 15 years, but I suspect there have been some

Rating:

Strengths:

The pathways representation reinforces and demonstrates relationships between concepts
The resource provides mechanisms for building assignments to enhance student learning
The pedagogy of providing information is a nice blend of learning and interactivity

Concerns:

The material does not offer a way to assess learning outcomes.
While the larger metabolic map does illustrate the connections between the minimaps, overall this material is not sequenced and does not rely on concept reinforcement.

Rating:

Strengths:

The larger metabolic map is visually engaging; students often need a "big picture" resource that clearly illustrates how pieces connect with one another
Some pathways are covered via illustration and animation, which although dated in appearance, walks the viewer through the process in a step-by-step fashion
Links to the IUBMB Enzyme Commission (EC) numbers lead to information on the enzyme and related databases

Concerns:

The maps are clear, and not sure I would consider them "visually appealing". Having last been updated in 2002, the site overall appears dated
The font on the navigation menus is small, which can make it difficult to identify and navigate between the pages

Other Issues and Comments:: The images are suitable posters for hanging or pinning in the classroom wall. Note comment about not being completely up to speed on what has changed in biochem over the past 15 years. We can not entirely vouch for the accuracy of all of the material on this site.
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