Ateneo - UPO

Introduction of CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY and uses of biochemical data in clinical medicine. General biochemistry

Ferrier Le basi della Biochimica Ed Zanichelli
(o E.E. Abali, S.D.. Cline, D.S. Franklin, S. Viselli
Le basi della biochimica Zanichelli)
David L Nelson, Michael M Cox Introduzione alla biochimica di Lehninger Ed Zanichelli

Objectives: The main aim of this course is to allow the students to learn the major chemical and physical
principles which govern organism life.

PREREQUISITES
students are expected to bear basic chemistry(atom structure, principles of stoichiometry, inorganic and organic compounds nomenclature) skills.

Interactive frontal lectures using MS-Power Point slides.
Teaching activity is planned to 30 hours.

Students with disabilities, DSA, BES, once they have contacted the University Staff, can contact the teacher in charge of the course in relation to the declination of the exam methods, regarding the teaching aspects.

The exam consists of a written test with multiple-choice questions.
The student must demonstrate that he has assimilated the basic notions of biochemistry, learned during the lessons, in an appropriate way to deal with the subsequent courses effectively.

The Properties of Water Affect the Bonding Abilities of Biomolecules
Amino acids structure, classification, Properties of peptide bond. Primary, secondary structure of protein (alpha-helix, beta-sheet), tertiary and quaternary structure. Fibrous protein: fibroin, keratin. Collagen. Myoglobin. Haemoglobin.
Enzymes: Basic Concepts and Kinetics
The Purification of Proteins.
DNA, RNA, and the Flow of Genetic Information
DNA Replication,
Recombination, and Repair.
RNA Synthesis and Splicing
Protein Synthesis
The Control of Gene Expression.
Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides structure and their derivatives. Disaccharides alpha and beta. Homopolysaccharide (amylase, amylopectin, glycogen, cellulose, chitin etc.).Heteropolysaccharides. Proteoglycan. Glycoprotein.

Fatty acids structures – Triacylglycerols – Glycerolphospholipids – Sphingolipids.
Steroids: cholesterol, steroids hormones

Biological membranes: lipid and protein structure – function – transport – integral, examples of carrier and pore forming proteins.

Signal-Transduction Pathways.

Metabolism: Glycolysis reactions and regulation. Galactose, Mannose and Fructose metabolism. Pyruvate destiny. Glycogen metabolism: synthesis, degradation and metabolic regulation, pathologies associated. The Pentose Phosphate Pathway: reactions, physiological implications, regulation, pathologies associated (Favism). The Citric Acid Cycle. Oxidative Phosphorylation
Protein Turnover and Amino Acid Catabolism
The Urea Cycle
Regulation of cell division and aberrations in malignant tumours, genetic bases of tumorigenesis, programmed cell death.