Lessons learned through literary classics: The biochemistry found in Alice in Wonderland

Students can gain a strong understanding of concepts through interdisciplinary study, specifically when familiar topics are employed. The use of fictional literature in the classroom is a commonly employed tactic to improve students' interest and understanding of biochemistry topics. We explored the literary classic “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” which has not previously been critically examined for its utility to facilitate learning in a biochemistry classroom. The hookah smoking caterpillar, hallucinations, the mad hatter, and mirror images are a few of the examples that can be used to explain topics such as receptor binding, mercury toxicity, and chiral molecules.