This comprehensive Biochemistry course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the chemical processes and molecular structures essential for biological systems. Beginning with basic biochemical principles, the course explores the structure, function, and kinetics of enzymes as biological catalysts. Students will then examine major metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism, with emphasis on energy production, storage, and utilization. The course also covers purine and pyrimidine metabolism and their roles in nucleic acid synthesis.
The latter portion of the course focuses on molecular biology topics, including RNA structure and function, the genetic code, DNA replication, and repair mechanisms. Additional modules explore the biochemical roles of vitamins as cofactors, hormone function and signal transduction pathways, analytical techniques in biotechnology, and principles of metabolic control and integration. Through lectures and clinical applications, students will develop a deep understanding of biochemical processes at the molecular level and their relevance to health, disease, and biotechnological applications.
Learning objectives
After the completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Analyze the structure-function relationships of biomolecules, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids, and their roles in biological systems
- Apply principles of enzyme kinetics and catalysis to explain regulation of enzyme activity and interpret enzyme inhibition data
- Evaluate the integrated pathways of carbohydrate metabolism, including glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogen metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, and the citric acid cycle
- Analyze lipid metabolism pathways, including fatty acid oxidation, ketogenesis, and lipid biosynthesis, and their regulation in different physiological states
- Interpret the metabolic fates of amino acids, including transamination, deamination, and their conversions to specialized products, and the process of nitrogen excretion
- Explain purine and pyrimidine metabolism, including de novo synthesis, salvage pathways, and degradation, and their relevance to clinical disorders
- Evaluate the molecular mechanisms of genetic information flow, including transcription, the genetic code, translation, and post-translational modifications
- Analyze the biochemical processes of DNA replication, repair mechanisms, and their importance in maintaining genetic integrity
- Assess the biochemical functions of vitamins as cofactors and coenzymes and the molecular mechanisms of hormone action and signal transduction
- Understand basic analytical techniques used in biochemistry.
- Explain the principles of metabolic control.
Course outline
- Biochemistry: Basics
- Enzymes and Enzyme Kinetics
- Carbohydrate Metabolism
- Lipid Metabolism
- Amino Acid Metabolism
- Purine and Pyrimidine Metabolism
- RNA and the Genetic Code
- DNA Replication and Repair
- Vitamins
- Hormones and Signal Transduction
- Analytical Techniques in Biotechnology
- Metabolic Control
