Evil Biochemistry Question. Hellp!

**Mary** · 20-05-2006, 02:42 AM

Ok, a friend called me from Italy and told me he's been thrown out of a biochem viva because he did not answer the following question, and I would feel compelled to help him, were it not for the absurdity of the question:

'What happens to the health of two homozygous twins if their parents leave for a 20 days journey but realised they forgot one of the twins home?

Scenario 1. The kid at home eats the same amount of calories as the kid on journey, but in a single daily meal. After 20 days the parents are back, but mom's a bit worried 'cos one of the twins weight has changed.

Scenario 2. The kid at home fasts for 20 days, while the kid on journey finds he can eat only sugar lollies. Whose health is worse when the family is reunited?

...I'd say the mental health of the prof. who asked the question is heavily prejudiced, but you can't really say that during a viva. So? Suggestions for my poor friend?

ah....Thank you brits for having taken me onto one of your med courses! I would not have survived in Italy!

**WAMS** · 20-05-2006, 02:56 AM

???!!!

**Vixter** · 20-05-2006, 03:07 AM

scenario one....i do have reasoning, but i cant express it at this time of night. something about the fatty content of the kid at homes one big meal.

meh, stupid question, the examiner should be given a good talking to!!

**auden** · 20-05-2006, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Vixter

scenario one....i do have reasoning, but i cant express it at this time of night. something about the fatty content of the kid at homes one big meal.

meh, stupid question, the examiner should be given a good talking to!!

for the kid at home to eat all those calories in one meal he's probably eating a lot of fat (high calorie/gram ratio)... If you tried to do that with complex carbs then you'd be full before you'd eaten enough. He's therefore turned into Morgan Spurlock. As well as putting on weight, he's probably got steatorrhoea and halitosis

none of which has much to do with biochemistry.

good god, so thankful I'm not at that university!

**Vixter** · 25-05-2006, 06:13 PM

yeah, thats what i was on with

**LisaC1976** · 27-05-2006, 08:15 PM

What a question!!!!
My biochem viva question was describing the bichemical pathway of a penile erection to a rather "too" excited looking prof!
Just thought I'd share - just goes to show biochemists are all a bit weird!