Knolewdge acquired:
Protein structure. Enzymes: catalysis and reaction mechanism. Structure of nucleic acids. Lipids and biological membranes. Bioenergetics.Metabolism of carbohydrates. Lipids and aminoacids: Citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorilation.
Competence acquired
Protein functions
Metabolic pathways: design and regulation
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Analyses of protein solutions
Determination of enzymatic activity
Cromatography
D.L. Nelson, M.Cox Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry by W.H. Freeman and Company
J.M. Berg, J.L. Tymoczko, L. Stryer Biochemistry by W.H. Freeman and Company
Learning Objectives
to get knowledge of enzymes and proteins (structure and functions relations). Get knowledge of the main metabolic pathways and of their regulation.
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended)
.
Courses required:
Chemistry (general and organic)
Courses recommended
Basic Biology
Teaching Methods
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 225
Hours reserved to private study and other indivual formative activities: 149
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 64
Contact hours for: Laboratory (hours): 12
Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): 0
Seminars (hours): 0
Stages: 0
Intermediate examinations: 0
Further information
Frequency of lectures, practice and lab: yes
Teaching tools
slides
Office hours:
Friday 11-12
Type of Assessment
Programme (short version for Diploma Supplement):
Structural pattern in Proteins. Allosteric protein. Enzymes: kinetics, mechanism and regulation. Lipids: structure and function. Biological membranes. Structure of nucleotides and nucleic acids.
Carbohydrates, Lipids and Protein metabolism. The Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle and Oxidative Phosphorylation. Biosynthesis of nucleotides and porphyrins. The integration of metabolism
Course program
The extended program is in agreement with the slides that are inserting in the Moodle platform. Password will be communicated to students at the beginning of the course.
HOWEVER, the main topics are: Organization of biological systems: molecules, energy and information. Biological macromolecules: structure-function relationships, their physiological significance.
Protein composition and primary structure. Higher order structures, motifs, domains. Quaternary structure, functional meanings. Post-translational modifications. Protein folding. Haemoglobin and collagen.
Enzymes: general aspects of enzyme catalysis and regulation of enzyme activity. Coenzymes.
Bioenergetics. Energy interconversion, the role of high-energy compounds, coupled reactions. Transport mechanisms. Messengers and receptors.
Polysaccharides: reserve and structural polysaccharides. Glycoproteins.
Glycolysis and fermentation. Gluconeogenesis. Hexose monophosphate pathway. Glycogen synthesis and degradation.
Metabolism of fructose, lactose and galactose.
Biochemical aspects of assumption, digestion and absorption of food. Metabolism of amino acids.
Elimination of nitrogen compounds.
Citric acid cycle. Electron transport chain. Oxidative phosphorylation. The fermentations.
Dietary lipids: classes, functions, digestion, absorption, secretion and utilization. Fatty acids and triacylglycerol metabolism. Phospholipid metabolism. Cholesterol and steroids. Lipoproteins.
Metabolic effects of insulin and glucagon.
Metabolism in well-fade state and starvation.
Principles of human nutrition. Energy and nutrient requirements in humans. Macro and micronutrients. Minerals. Dietary recommendations.
Vitamins: type of vitamins and their role in metabolic pathways and cellular physiology.
Integration and regulation of the main metabolic pathways.
The topics of nutraceutics and nutrigenomic. Functional foods. Foods intolerances and allergies.
Nucleic acids: structure and function of DNA and RNA. Genetic code. Synthesis of proteins. The importance of transcription regulation in human nutrition.