00061 - Biochemistry

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student acquires basic information on the structure and function of biomolecules and biological macromolecules, on their metabolism in animals, on the main analysis methodologies in the biochemical laboratory. In particular, the student is able to use the biochemical notions acquired to understand: - the fundamental biochemical problems in monogastric and ruminant animals; - the mechanisms of intake, transformation and use of nutrients, excretion of catabolites and xenobiotics, growth and reproduction; - the basic principles in the interconversion, accumulation and use of chemical energy.

Course contents

- Introduction and presentation of the course. Biological chemistry and biomolecules: chemical elements that make up biomolecules, properties of biomolecules. Notes on cellular organization. - Carbohydrates: structure and properties of monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Lipids: structure and properties of simple lipids and complex lipids. Notes on water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins: structure and biological role. Nucleic acids: structure and functions of DNA and RNA. Notes on the mechanisms of duplication and transcription of nucleic acids. - Amino acids and proteins: classification of amino acids. The peptide bond, the structural organization of proteins. Functions of proteins. Hemoglobin and oxygen transport. - Enzymes: functions, definition of coenzymes, cofactors and prosthetic groups, formation of the enzymatic complex, transition state, activation energy of catalyzed reactions. Enzyme kinetics: Michaelis-Menten model. Enzyme inhibition. Allosteric enzymes. - Metabolism: catabolism and anabolism, organization of metabolic pathways, compartmentalization of metabolic pathways, regulation of metabolic pathways. - Glucose metabolism: Glycolysis and its regulation. Gluconeogenesis and its regulation. Glycogen metabolism: glycogenosynthesis and glycogenolysis. Nitrogen metabolism: general scheme of amino acid metabolism, transamination reactions and oxidative deamination. Urea cycle. - Notes on the pentose phosphate pathway. Tricarboxylic acid cycle. Electron transport chain. Oxidative phosphorylation. Lipid metabolism: β-oxidation of fatty acids. Ketogenesis: meaning of ketone bodies and their uses. Biosynthesis of fatty acids.

SUPPLEMENTARY TEACHING AND EXERCISE ACTIVITIES: - Further information: structure and function of the main biomolecules constituting living organisms. - Further information: functional characteristics of catalytic sites and general principles of enzymatic catalysis. Role played in catalysis by coenzymes, cofactors, with examples of some important enzymatic transformations chosen from the most typical of the enzyme classes. - Insights: molecular mechanisms of digestion, absorption and transport of the main classes of molecules of nutritional relevance. - Glucose: absorption, metabolization and glycemia. Clinical aspects of blood sugar regulation. - Insights into fermentation processes: acetic, butyric and propionic fermentation. - Elements of Clinical Biochemistry: the biological material and the analytical phases. The Pre-Analytical, Analytical and Post-Analytical phase. -Exercises divided into 4 shifts (4 hours each) of max 25 students, divided into 2 days in person. Program of exercises: Introduction to Clinical Biochemistry tests: applications of biochemistry in an analysis laboratory. Chemical-biological analyzes and dry chemistry using immuno-chromatographic tests. Practical applications through the use of immuno-chromatographic tests for urinalysis; execution of the test on a biological sample and reading and interpretations of the immuno-chromatographic strip for the analytes: specific gravity, pH, leukocyte esterase, nitrites, proteins, glucose, ketones, bilirubin, urobilinogen and hemoglobin.

Readings/Bibliography

The recommended texts will be presented on the first day of class.

Teaching methods

Slides "pdf" and audio-video lessons.

Assessment methods

Written test

Office hours

See the website of Alberto Zampiero