Download The Module Manual of Biochemistry

The Module Manual of Biochemistry
for the Students of Clinical Medicine Specialty
Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Aims And Objectives
Aims:
To provide a basic understanding of the structures and functions of biochemical
macromolecules and their metabolism.
To enable the acquisition of skills in the planning and the execution of practical
investigations concerning macromolecules and metabolism.
To acquire a sound knowledge of biochemistry to deal with two central concerns of
the health sciences: (1) the understanding and maintenance of health and (2) the
understanding and effective treatment of disease.
Objectives:
About Amino acids and the structures and functions of proteins
To understand the primary component units of proteins, amino acids, by which
chemical bond the amino acids can be linked to constitute protein, and the
fundamental aspects of structure and function of proteins. To understand the
physical-chemical properties of proteins, including zwitterions, isoelectric point,
denaturation of protein, absorption at ultraviolet light region etc.
To have an appreciation of some of the ways in which proteins may be separated and
sequenced. To have a basic understanding of the relationship between the space
structure of protein and its functions. For example hemoglubin and myoglubin,
allosteric effects.
About Enzyme and Enzyme kinetics and inhibition
To be able to distinguish the differences between enzymes and other biocatalysts such
as ribozymes. To know how enzymes can be classified and to know the basic
principles of enzymes acting as biocatalysts. To have a basic understanding of the
ways in which proteins may act as enzymes and the factors affecting their rates. To
understand the aspects of enzyme kinetics and inhibition, including Michaelis-Menten
model, the different kinds of enzyme inhibition, as well as their kinetics
characteristics. To have a basic understanding of the ways about the control of
enzyme activities and allosteric enzymes.
About DNA Structure and Replication
To understand the fundamental aspects of the structure and function of the nucleic
acids DNA and RNA, and to appreciate that nucleic acids may be used in
biotechnology. To understand the physical-chemical properties of nucleic acids,
including denaturation of nucleic acid, absorption characteristic at ultraviolet light
region, hyperchromic effect, melting temperature (Tm), hybridization, etc
To understand how deoxynucleotides are covalently joined together to be DNA
molecules. To be able to describe the characteristics of DNA double helix. To have a
basic understanding to DNA organization in chromosomes. To be able to describe
the basic conditions of DNA replication and to know how to distinguish DNA
replication in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes.
About RNA Synthesis and Processing
To understand the differences between DNA structures and RNA structures, and the
characteristics of RNA secondary structure. To understand the basic process of RNA
transcription and the differences of transcription between in prokaryotes and in
eukaryotes. To understand the overall concepts concerning gene expression, coding
genes, post-transcription processing, the expression of tRNA and rRNA. To have an
appreciation of the ways of the control of gene transcription in prokaryotes or in
eukaryotes.
About Protein Synthesis and Modification
To understand the overall concepts concerning genetic codes, the characteristics of
genetic codes, as well as the process of protein synthesis ( translation ) according to
the genetic codes lined on mRNA sequence. To have an appreciation of the
substances which involve in the process of protein synthesis. To have an overview of
the protein targeting, secretory proteins, plasma membrane proteins, and other
subcellular organelle proteins, as well as of three types of protein glycosylation.
About Recombinant DNA Technology
To understand the characteristics of restriction enzymes and the applications of
restriction enzymes in the field of biotechnology. To have an appreciation of the basic
principle of nucleic acid hybridization technique and to know there are how many
sorts of nucleic acid hybridization. To be able to use the principle of DNA cloning to
design a research project. To list the sorts of viruses which can be used in DNA
cloning as vector. To have a basic understanding of the principles of DNA sequencing
and polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ).
About Carbohydrate Metabolism
To understand the importance of carbohydrate metabolism to human health which is
the main way to supply energy for many activities of physiological functions in
human body. To have a basic understanding of the sorts of saccharides in organisms ,
their basic structure characteristics, as well as their functions. To have an overview of
the processes in the extraction of energy from foodstuffs. To understand the
fundamental aspects of the structure and function of carbohydrates, the metabolic
pathways of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogen synthesis and degradation as
well as pentose phosphate pathway.
About Lipid Metabolism
To have an overview of the structures and properties of lipid such as fatty acid,
triglyceride, glycerophospolipids, etc, as well as their major biological roles in the
living. To understand how fatty acids degraded, and to list the characteristics of β
-oxidation. To have a basic understanding of the process of fatty acid synthesis. To
understand the pathways of the synthesis and breakdown of triacylglycerols, their
regulation in organisms. To have an overview of the pathways which cholesterols can
be changed into other substances in organisms. To be able to list the sorts and
understand the structures and functions of lipoproteins in plasma.
About Respiration and Energy
To have a basic understanding of the overall concepts governing metabolism,
including free energy and equilibrium constants. To appreciate that the TCA cycle is
the terminal pathway of oxidation of many organic molecules, and its role in the
provision of reducing equivalents for oxidative phosphorylation and precursors for
biosynthesis. To understand the location of TCA cycle in cells, the process and
regulation of TCA. To understand the process of respiration, by which metabolic
energy is converted to ATP, that means electron transport and oxidative
phosphorylation. Photosynthesis will be omitted.
About Nitrogen Metabolism
To have an appreciation of the concept of balance and of the ways in which amino
acids are metabolized. To understand the metabolic processes of nitrogen excretion in
a range of organisms. To have an overview of biosynthesis and degradation of amino
acids. To understand the transamination between an amino acid and an α
-ketoglutarate and transaminases related to transamination. To appreciate the urea
cycle and its relationship to citric acid cycle. To have an overview of other nitrogen
metabolism, such as the production of uric acid, the formation of creatine phosphate.
To understand heme metabolism, including the biosynthesis and degradation of heme,
the formation and excretion of bile pigments. Chlorophylls will be omitted.
The other
To demonstrate an appreciation of the approaches used to study biochemical
processes.
To use a range of biochemical laboratory equipment and practical techniques.
To design simple controlled experiments and record, analyze and interpret
experimental data.
You will be helped to meet the aims and objectives of this module in the following
ways:
 Attendance at lectures, the content of which closely follows the module
objectives.
 Completion of the practical tasks, which will reinforce your learning from the
lectures and will give you an appreciation of how our biochemical knowledge has
been gained.
 Individual self study which will complement your timetabled coursework. As a
guide, you should aim to complete two hours additional study for each lecture and
two hours for each practical timetabled. That is about eight hours per week.
Textbook:
B.D.Hames, N.M.Hooper & J.D.Houghton Instant Notes in Biochemistry, BIOS
SCENTIFIC PUBLISHERS LIMITED Sept, 1999.
More advanced reading:
Robert K. Murray; Daryl K. Granner; Peter A. Mayes; Victor W. Rodwell Harper’s
Biochemistry, 25th Edition; McGraw-Hill Health Professions Division, 2000.