BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOCHIMICA
A.Y. | Credits |
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2023/2024 | 8 |
Lecturer | Office hours for students | |
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Deborah Agostini | From Monday to Friday after appointment by mail (deborah.agostini@uniurb.it) or at the end of the lessons |
Teaching in foreign languages |
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Course with optional materials in a foreign language
English
This course is entirely taught in Italian. Study materials can be provided in the foreign language and the final exam can be taken in the foreign language. |
Assigned to the Degree Course
Date | Time | Classroom / Location |
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Date | Time | Classroom / Location |
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Learning Objectives
The course aims to provide students with basic knowledge on fundamental processes of the biochemical mechanisms that regulate cellular metabolic activities with particular attention to energy metabolism and to the molecular basis of adaptation to physical exercise.
Program
The course will address the following topics in the order below:
Principles of bioenergetics and thermodynamics. Cells and sources of free energy.
Paired reactions and free energy variations The transfer of phosphoric groups and ATP.
Free energy standard of phosphorylated compounds (Fosfoenolpyruvate, 1,3 diphosphoglycerate, Phosphocreatine) and thioesters (Acetyl Coenzyme A)
ATP provides energy by group transfer, not by simple hydrolysis
Enzymes
Classification of enzymes. How enzymes work: enzymatic kinetics
Michaelis's equation - Menten Vmax, Km, Kcat
Competitive Inhibition and non-competitive Inhibition
Glycolysis and the catabolism of hexoses. Regulation of Glycolysis
Fate of pyruvate in aerobic and anaerobic conditions
Alcoholic fermentation
Regulation of carbohydrate catabolism. Secondary pathways of glucose oxidation
Use of disaccharides, galactose, fructose glycogenosynthesis
Regulation of glycogenosynthesis (in muscle and liver). Glycogenolysis.
Regulation of Glycogenolysis and Gluconeogenesis
Pyruvate carboxylase: mechanism of action. Complex of Pyruvate dehydrogenase
The Krebs cycle
The flow of mitochondrial electrons;
The electron transport chain;
The synthesis of ATP is coupled to the flow of electrons in the respiratory chain;
Structure and physiological role of fatty acids;
Structure, digestion and absorption of triglycerides;
Classification and structure of lipoproteins;
Mobilization and transport of fatty acids;
Regulation of lipid metabolism
Oxidation of saturated, unsaturated and chain fatty acids with odd number of carbon atoms;
B12 Coenzyme;
Ketone bodies;
Cholesterol, notes on synthesis and regulatory mechanisms;
Protein turnover and amino acid catabolism;
Proteins are degraded to amino acids;
Regulation of protein turnover: ubiquitination, proteasomes and lysosomes;
Deamination of amino acids;
Nitrogen excretion and urea cycle;
Notes on the regulation of nitrogen metabolism;
Pathways of degradation of amino acids;
Muscle contraction biochemistry;
Biochemical and metabolic differences between the types of fibers;
Muscle adaptations to exercise
Bridging Courses
Physics / Chemistry and propaedeutics of biochemistry
Learning Achievements (Dublin Descriptors)
In agreement with the Dublin Descriptors, the student must demonstrate:
- To have achieved a knowledge and understanding of biochemistry that allows him to set up the discussion in a coherent and logical way, and to be able to make connections between the different topics;
- To show the ability to use knowledge and concepts to solve problems related to the biochemistry of exercise;
- To expose one's own knowledge with specific language and scientific vocabulary;
Teaching Material
The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it
Supporting Activities
There are no supporting activities to teaching
Teaching, Attendance, Course Books and Assessment
- Teaching
Frontal lessons
- Attendance
There is no compulsory attendance
- Course books
D.L. Nelson, M.M. Cox. Fondamenti di biochimica di Lehninger. Zanichelli
J. M. Berg Biochimica. Zanichelli
D. Voet, J.G. Voet, C.W. Pratt – Fondamenti di biochimica. Zanichelli
- Assessment
Expected learning outcomes will be evaluated through an oral interview that will take into account the knowledge and deepening of the topics of the program, the ability to link the different aspects of the metabolism in conditions of rest and in response to physical exercise. In more ditails, the oral interview will take into account: knowledge and understanding skills (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient); Consciousness and understanding ability applied (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient); judgment autonomy (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient); communicative abilities (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient); ability to learn (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient).
The oral test is expressed in thirty.
- Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.
To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.
Additional Information for Non-Attending Students
- Teaching
Non-attending students are invited to consult the educational material uploaded on Moodle (slides discussed in class, examples of educational research, types of detection tools, etc.) through which it will be possible to study the books indicated in the section "program information".
- Attendance
There is no compulsory attendance
- Course books
D.L. Nelson, M.M. Cox. Fondamenti di biochimica di Lehninger. Zanichelli
J. M. Berg Biochimica. Zanichelli
D. Voet, J.G. Voet, C.W. Pratt – Fondamenti di biochimica. Zanichelli
- Assessment
Expected learning outcomes will be evaluated through an oral interview that will take into account the knowledge and deepening of the topics of the program, the ability to link the different aspects of the metabolism in conditions of rest and in response to physical exercise. In more ditails, the oral interview will take into account: knowledge and understanding skills (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient); Consciousness and understanding ability applied (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient); judgment autonomy (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient); communicative abilities (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient); ability to learn (6, excellent, 5, good, 4 sufficient, 3 insufficient).
The oral test is expressed in thirty.
- Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.
To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.
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