Learning objectives
The course has the learning objective to provide the students with a solid knowledge and understanding of the essential principles of Chemistry, the electronic structure of atom, chemical bonding in inorganic/organic molecules and the macromolecules of biological interest.
The student will be required to know and understand:
1) the main concepts of chemical reactions;
2) the functional role of biomolecules that compose the living matter;
3) the essential aspects of cellular metabolic pathways.
Results of learning
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course the student will be required to:
show knowledge and understanding about the name and corresponding chemical drawing of main classes of compounds with biological relevance;
be able to identify the functional groups of organic molecules responsible of their reactivity;
know the general scheme of metabolism, the major metabolic pathways and their connection with energy production and energy consumption;
understand the connection between chemistry and biology.
Course unit content
Organic chemistry: functional groups and their reactivity.
Biomolecules: aminoacids and proteins; carbohydrates; lipids.
Enzymes.
Haemoglobin and myoglobin.
Overview of metabolism: catabolism and anabolism.
ATP. Cellular respiration and carbohydrates catabolism.
Conversion of chemical energy into other forms of energy useful for the body.
Full programme
Periodic table and electron configuration of the elements. Pure and polar covalent bonds. Oxidation number, calculation in inorganic and organic compounds; redox reactions. Acid-base concepts, in inorganic and organic compounds, strong and weak acids. Fundamental concepts in chemical kinetics; reaction rate and its dependence on: chemical nature of the reactants, concentration, temperature and catalysts.
Introduction to Organic Chemistry: types of carbon hybridization; sp3, sp2, sp; brute formulas, structural and rational formulas; main reactions. Classification of hydrocarbons. Alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, alkynes: structure, IUPAC and traditional nomenclature. Alkanes: halogenation and combustion reactions. Alkenes: addition reactions with hydrogen, halogens, hydrogen halides, water. Markovnikov rule.
Benzene: structure and properties, concept of resonance. Electrophilic substitution reactions to benzene.
Alcohols: structure, classification, IUPAC and traditional nomenclature, general physical properties. Hints to glycols. Oxidation reaction of alcohols; intermolecular dehydration reaction to form ethers.
Ethers: structure, IUPAC and traditional nomenclature.
Aldehydes and ketones: structure, IUPAC and traditional nomenclature, general physical properties and reactivity. Nucleophilic addition reaction of aldehyde with a primary amine.
Carboxylic acids: structure, IUPAC and traditional nomenclature, general physical properties, formation of salts. Formation reaction of esters.
Amines: nomenclature, basic properties, notes on the main reactions.
Amino acids: general structure and acid-base properties. Protein structure: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. Denaturation process, breaking of bonds by physical and chemical denaturants. Main functions of proteins.
Enzymes: classification, “lock and key” and “induced fit” models. Coenzymes (ATP, NAD+, NADP+, FAD, Coenzyme A) and cofactors. Enzyme kinetics, enzyme-substrate interaction. Michaelis-Menten equation (Km), concept of specificity and affinity. Dependence of enzymatic activity on pH and temperature. Competitive and non-competitive inhibition.
The proteins that transport oxygen, hemoglobin and myoglobin: structure, characteristics and function. Hemoglobin: dependence of oxygen affinity on oxygen pressure and on pH at tissue level (Bohr effect). Concept of cooperative effect in the Hb-O2 bond, tense state (T) and relaxed state (R) of hemoglobin.
Carbohydrates: main monosaccharides (ribose, glucose, fructose, galactose), structure and chiral properties. Glycosidic bond, notes on the main disaccharides, maltose, lactose, sucrose; monosaccharide units that compose them, bonds (alfa and beta), properties. Main polysaccharides, starch, glycogen, cellulose: structural notes and properties.
Lipids, general properties. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids: structure and nomenclature. Structure and properties of triglycerides; structure and function of phospholipids; structure and function of biological membranes; functions of cholesterol.
General concepts of metabolism. Structure and role of mitochondria. Main compounds of the common catabolic pathway. Role of the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) in metabolism. Oxidative phosphorylation: transport of electrons and H+ ions, resulting in phosphorylation. Role of the chemosmotic pump in ATP production. Conversion of chemical energy into other forms of energy useful for the body.
Bibliography
The learning material will be provided by the teacher: handouts, articles, movie.
Teaching methods
The course will be held through lectures to Students either in the classroom (“in presenza”) or in synchronous-streaming (“in telepresenza”) on the Teams platform. Therefore, the opportunity of Student/Teacher interaction will be preserved both face to face and remotely, by the simultaneous use of the Teams platform.
Lectures will be supported by slide presentations, which will be available to students on the Elly platform (https://elly2020.medicina.unipr.it/).
Assessment methods and criteria
The level of achievement of learning objectives will be evaluated by a written exam, consisting of open questions. The knowledge and understanding of the contents by the students will be assessed through questions on the topics included in the whole course.
In case of the persistence of the health emergency, the exams will be conducted remotely, as follows: structured written test conducted remotely (by Teams or Elly).
Students with S.L.D. / B.S.E. must first contact Le Eli-che: support for students with disabilities, D.S.A., B.E.S. (https://sea.unipr.it/it/servizi/le-eli-che-supporto-studenti-con-disabilita-dsa-bes
