Learning objectives
The course of Biochemistry is part of the integrated course Biomolecular Principles.
The module has the formative objective to provide the students with a solid knowledge and understanding of the basis of the structure and function of biological macromolecules.
The student will be required to know and understand 1) the main elements of chemical reactions, 2) the properties of water: the solvent of life, 3) the functional role of biomolecules that compose the living matter, 4) the essential aspects of the cellular metabolic pathways.
Results of learning: knowledge and understanding. At the end of the module the student will be required to: be able to identify the functional groups of the biological molecules; show knowledge and understanding about the chemical structure and functions of the main classes of compounds with biological relevance; 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.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the following topics is required to understand the contents of the module:
The constitution of matter, elements and compounds. The fundamental particles of the atom. Atomic number and mass number. Atomic weight and molecular weight. Isotopes. Ions: cations and anions.
The periodic table and the electronic configuration of the elements of biological interest.
Electronegativity and chemical bonds: ionic bond and covalent bond. The molecules. Lewis formulas. Fundamentals of molecular geometry. The polarity of molecules. Valence and oxidation number.
Fundamentals of inorganic chemistry: formulas and names of the most common inorganic compounds.
Concept of mole, conversion from grams to moles and vice versa, elementary stoichiometric calculations. Solutions: main ways of expressing the concentration of solutions.
The principle of conservation of mass and charge: balancing of simple reactions. Oxidation-reduction reactions. Chemical equilibrium and Le Châtelier's principle.
There will be four additional hours of optional lessons to explain the fundamental concepts of the preparatory contents to the Biochemistry module.
Course unit content
Principles of Organic Chemistry: functional groups and their reactivity.
The properties of water and role of water in the living organisms.
Biomolecules, structure, and functions: amino acids and proteins; carbohydrates; lipids. Enzymes. Hemoglobin and myoglobin.
Overview of metabolism: catabolism and anabolism. ATP. Cellular respiration and carbohydrates catabolism. Brief discussion on triglycerides and proteins degradative metabolism. Insulin and glucagon as examples of hormonal regulation.
Full programme
- Elements of Organic Chemistry: The chemistry of carbon. Chemical bonds of carbon. Hydrocarbons. The functional groups. Naming and writing formulas of simple organic compounds. Functional groups with biological interest. Isomerism. Types of reactions in biochemistry.
- Water: chemical and physical properties. Intermolecular interactions. Dipoles and Van der Waals interactions. Hydrogen bonding. Water as a solvent. Water solutions and solubility. Osmosis. Water ionization. Acids and bases. pH. Buffer solutions and their biological significance. Blood pH regulation.
- Structure and function of macromolecules:
1) Carbohydrates: Biological functions. Chemical structure, the glycosidic bond. Monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. The principal disaccharides and the enzymes which hydrolyze them. Polysaccharides: structure and function: amide, cellulose, and glycogen.
2) Lipids: Biological function. Simple and complex lipids. Fatty acids. Cis/trans isomers. Eicosanoids and acachidonic acid. Steroids. Ceres. Triglycerides: energetic strorage. Phospholipids and biological membranes.
3) Proteins: Protein functions. Amino acids as structural units of proteins. The natural amino acids and post-translational modifications. Peptidic bond and protein structure. Primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary protein structures. Structure-function relationship. Native structure. Folding and denaturation. Amyloidosis. Globular and fibrous proteins.
- Myoglobin and hemoglobin. Blood, transport, and storage of oxygen. The heme group. Structure of myoglobin and hemoglobin. Cooperative binding of oxygen to hemoglobin and uncooperative binding of myoglobin. Transport of oxygen in the blood and transfer from hemoglobin to myoglobin. Allosteric modulators of hemoglobin: Bohr effect and 2,3-BPG. Fetal hemoglobin. Thalassemias and sickle cell anemia. Heme catabolism: neonatal jaundice.
- Enzymes: biological catalysts. The activation energy. Enzymes: active site. Notes on coenzymes and cofactors. Enzymatic catalysis: Michaelis-Menten. Competitive and non-competitive inhibitors. Regulation of enzymatic activity. Isoenzymes.
- Introduction to metabolism. Catabolism. Anabolism. Reaction Coordinate Plots. The metabolic pathways. Energy production and energy storage in the living cell. Some basic principles of bioenergetics. High energy compounds. ATP extension. Reduced and oxidized coenzymes. General aspects of the regulation of metabolism. General scheme of catabolism.
- Cellular respiration and carbohydrate metabolism: Glycolysis and its regulation. Gluconeogenesis. Insulin and glucagon. Diabetes. Fermentation. Cellular respiration: Krebs cycle and respiratory chain. ATP-synthase. Energy balance of cellular respiration.
- The metabolism of lipids. Digestion of fats and transport of lipids in the blood. storage of triglycerides. Lipolysis. Beta-oxidation of fatty acids, energy balance. Ketonic bodies.
Bibliography
- Elementi di Chimica e Biochimica.
E. Chiricozzi, D. Colombo, F. Magni, O. Marin, P. Palestini, V. Tugnoli, Edises.
- Biochimica Essenziale con Richiami di Chimica Generale e Chimica Organica.
G. D'Andrea, Edises.
- Chimica e Biochimica.
M. Stefani, N. Taddei, Zanichelli.
- Le basi della Biochimica
E. A. Abali, S. D. Cline, D.S. Franklin, S. M. Viselli, Zanichelli.
- Biochimica e Biologia per le professioni sanitarie 2/ed.
R. Roberti, G. A. Bistocchi, C. Antognelli, V. N. Talesa, Mc Graw Hill
- Chimica Generale, Chimica Organica, Propedeutica Biochimica 1/ed. revisionata
K. J. Denniston, J. J. Topping, D. Quirk, R. L. Caret, C. Bergamini, S. Bonora, P. Taddei, V.Tugnoli, Mc Graw Hill.
- Campbell - Biologia e Genetica.
L. A. Urry, M. L. Cain, S. A. Wasserman, P. V. Minorsky, R. Orr, Pearson.
- Chimica Generale, Chimica Organica e Biochimica.
L. Frost, T. Deal, Monduzzi
Teaching methods
Lectures will be held on-site. Supporting material will be available on the specific, student-reserved platform (Elly) before the lessons and will include slide presentations, audio-video aids, and useful links for the understanding of the new concepts. In the teaching material, there will be exercises and quizzes to consolidate the acquired knowledge. Possibly, interactive tests will be done during the lessons to consolidate the knowledge.
During the lessons examples of the concepts of Biochemistry with a clinical focus will be provided.
There will be four additional hours of optional lessons to explain the fundamental concepts of the preparatory contents to the Biochemistry module.
Assessment methods and criteria
The assessment of the achievement of the objectives of the module includes a written (or possibly oral) exam on the whole program of the course (Biology and Biochemistry), consisting of multiple-choice quizzes and open questions. The knowledge and understanding of the contents by the students will be assessed through questions on the topics of the whole course. By asking questions regarding the contents of the course, it will be ascertained whether the student has achieved the objective of knowledge and understanding the contents.
Students with S.L.D. / B.S.E. must first contact Centro di Accoglienza e Inclusione: support for students with disabilities, D.S.A., B.E.S (https://www.cai.unipr.it/it/student-con-dsa-e-con-bes/42/)
Other information
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
