00064 - General Biochemistry

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the biochemical processes related to the interaction of nutrients

Course contents

• The chemical foundations of biochemistry. Water and pH.
• Nucleosides, nucleotides, and nucleic acids.
• Amino acids, peptides and proteins.
• Enzymes and their regulation. Coenzymes and vitamines.
  
• Bioenergetics and role of ATP. Catabolism and anabolism.
• Structure and metabolism of carbohydrates. Digestion of carbohydrates. Blood glucose and its regulation. Overview of carbohydrate metabolism. Glycogen synthesis and glycogenolysis. Glycolysis and glucogenesis. Pentose phosphate cycle.
• Pyruvate oxidation and citric acid cycle (TCA cycle). Respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation.
• Structure of lipids. Overview of lipid metabolism. Digestion of lipids. Plasma Lipoproteins. Lipolysis and lipogenesis. beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Ketone bodies. Cholesterol.
• Metabolism of nitrogen compouds. Digestion of proteins. Overview of amino acid metabolism. Fate of carbon skeleton and amino group of aminoacids. Urea cycle. Gluconeogenesis. Biogenic amines.
  
• Signal transduction Nuclear and membrane receptors. Main hormones regulating metabolism: glucagon, insulin, catecholamines, glucocorticoids.
• Metabolic interelations among tissues. Biochemistry of bone and cartilage. Collagen, glycosaminoglycans. Regulation of blood calcium.

Clinical cases in relation to metabolic biochemistry:

• Lactose intolerance; galactosemia; fructosemia; ethanol metabolism.
• Xylulosuria and thiamine deficiency; favism; pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency.
• Cyanide poisoning; hyperlactatemia in athletes; impaired perfusion metabolic acidosis; anabolic effects of insulin.
• Hyperchylomicronemia; familial hypercholesterolemia; medium-chain fatty acid acyl-coA dehydrogenase deficiency.
• Phenylketonuria; urea cycle defects; maple syrup urine disease; ADA-SCID.

Readings/Bibliography

Slides presented during the lecture will be made available to students on the Virtual platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it/).

 

M. Stefani, N. Taddei. Chimica, Biochimica e Biologia applicata. Zanichelli.

M. Stefani, N. Taddei. Chimica & Biochimica. Zanichelli

D.L. Nelson, M.M. Cox. Introduzione alla Biochimica di Lehninger. Zanichelli

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Written test in Biochemistry (multiple choice quiz), the evaluation of which will be mediated with that of the other tests of the integrated course.

Teaching tools

The teaching material will be available to students.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Cetrullo