Course name: Biochemistry (curriculum in Herbal Sciences)
COURSE CONTENT
Aminoacids and Proteins: structure and chemical properties. Structure and function in proteins: hemoglobin and myoglobin. Carbohydrates. Lipids and cell membranes. Membrane channels and pumps. ATPases. DNA, RNA and the flow of genetic information. Enzymes: basic concepts and kinetics (Km and Vmax).
Competitive and non competitive inhibition. Regulatory strategies: enzymes and hemoglobin. Reactive oxygen species.
Bioenergetics. Oxidative phosphorylation: (i) complexes of the respiratory chain and (ii) FoF1 ATPase.
Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis. The pentose phosphate pathway. The citric acid cycle. The glycogen metabolism.
Fatty acid metabolism. Liponeogenesis, triacylglycerols and phospholipids synthesis, cholesterol metabolism. Ketogenesis. Lipoproteins. Aminoacids metabolism. Deamination, transamination and decarboxylation. The urea cycle. The heme metabolism. Nucleotide biosynthesis. DNA and RNA metabolism. Protein synthesis.
The integration of metabolism. Signal-transduction pathways. The second messengers cAMP, cGMP and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate.
Intracellular receptors for steroid hormones and regulation of protein synthesis. Insulin. Glucagon.Catecholamines.
Fat-soluble vitamins /A, D, E, K) and Vitamin A in the mechanism of vision. Water soluble vitamins and coenzymes: vitamin C, thiamine diphosphate, FMN, FAD, NAD, NADP, pyridoxal phosphate, coenzime A, tetrahydrofolic acid, cobamide coenzymes. Lipoic acid and biotin.
LEARNING OUTCOME
After taking the module, students know the structure of biological macromolecules and their functional role within the living cell. Principles of enzymatic catalysis, an overview of the energetic metabolism and some examples of tissue and organ biochemistry will be part of the final learning objectives.
CREDITS:4
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Prof. Di Lisa
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