08956 - Clinical Biochemistry

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Docente: Gloria Isani
  • Credits: 4
  • SSD: BIO/12
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Veterinary Medicine (cod. 8617)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the lessons the student has acquired knowledge on the most important metabolic pathways, the genetic regulation, the DNA duplication an transfer of informations

Course contents

Biochemistry of information: DNA duplication, RNA synthesis, genetic code and protein synthesis; gene expression regulation in procaryotes and eucaryotes. Intermediary metabolism: bioenergetics; glycolisis and its regulation, Krebs cycle and its regulation, fatty acid catabolism, respiratory chain and ATP biosynthesis. Aminoacid catabolism and urea cycle. Ruminal fermentation. Gluconeogenesis; biosynthesis of fatty acids. Tissue biochemistry.

Laboratory activities: practical activities involve the acquisition of basic knowledge and skills related to precision and accuracy of an analysis and to simple biochemical methods (protein extraction and analysis using uv-vis spectrophotometry, protein separation). For each activity the appropriate PPE will be provided. Laboratory activities are carried out according to specific protocols and are reported in the personal laboratory notebook by each student. The laboratory notebook is checked periodically by the teacher to ascertain its correct management.

Readings/Bibliography

The teaching material consists of the suggested textbooks (see below) and of the material put on the specific course website: https://iol.unibo.it.

The suggested textbooks are:

Champe et al, Le basi  della biochimica, Zanichelli,Bologna 2006

Campbell e Farrell , Biochimica ( EdiSES )
Nelson e Cox , I principi di biochimica di Lehninger (Zanichelli)

Teaching methods

Practical and theoretical lectures. Some topics related to intermediate metabolism will be addressed with the "flipped class" approach. A topic will be studied in groups and will be presented with a short presentation.

Students with special needs are invited to contact the teacher by e-mail to illustrate them and to organize the teaching and examinations in the most suitable way.

It is mandatory to wear a gown for access to the teaching laboratory. When necessary, PPEs will also be provided for carrying out specific activities, such as single-use gloves and safety goggles.

Assessment methods

1) Student evaluation

The class is part of an Integrated Course. The final score of the exam is based on the synthesis of the evaluations of the two classes of the integrated course.  The final mark will be proportional to the CFU of each teaching course and will be registered by Gloria Isani.

The written test, containing metabolic pathways, quiz and open answers, aims at evaluating knowledge and skills acquired during the lessons and their application in problem solving. The written test should be performed within two hours.

Students wishing to take the exam in English should  inform the teacher by e-mail at least two days before.

2) Exam reservation and dates of exam sessions

Students can make a reservation of the exam at: (https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm ).

Studends that have regularly attended the course can take the exam at fixed dates within specific periods of the academic year. All the other students can take the exam in other dedicated dates.

Student who fails the exam may take it again  three weeks after the previous attempt.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations, virtual labs, databases, practical laboratory work

Office hours

See the website of Gloria Isani