BIOCHEMISTRY

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this course the student will be able to:
● Have general knowledge of the chemical composition, structure and biological action of the basic biomolecules (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids).
● Know the classification of proteins into categories and their structure and function
of the principal members of each category
● know the classification of enzymes, the determination of kinetic constants, the general mechanisms of enzymatic reactions, and the enzymatic regulation
● Describe the main processes of biosynthesis and catabolism of micro- and macromolecules (carbohydrates, fatty acids and other lipids, amino acids and proteins, nucleotides and nucleic acids).

SYLLABUS

●Regulatory systems of the body, water balance, water metabolism, sodium and potassium, control and clinical disorders of acid-base balance.
●Amino acids and proteins. Structure and function of proteins. Physicochemical protein properties, methods of isolation, purification, separation and protein detection. Diseases.
Biosynthesis and breakdown of amino acids. Carbonate metabolism skeletal, inherited diseases of amino acid metabolism.
●Protein categories. a) Structural proteins. Collagen, types of collagen, elastin, keratin. b) Functional proteins. Catalytic proteins (enzymes). General mechanisms of enzymatic reactions. c)Transport proteins. Hemoglobin, myoglobin d) Defense proteins (antibodies). Structure and function, use of antibodies in analysis. e) Contractile proteins. Myosin, actin, structure and function. Future use modified proteins from eye chromophores in medicine imaging techniques
●Lipids and lipoproteins. Structure and function of lipoproteins, metabolism, dyslipidemias, atherosclerosis.
Fatty acids. Biosynthesis and storage of fatty acids, essential fats acids, fatty acid oxidation. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and health, Lecithin
●Carbohydrates. Glycogen structure, glycogenogenesis-glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycoproteins, proteoglycans. Carbohydrates and human health. Correlation of starch and
processed carbohydrate intake with dental hygiene.
● Metabolism and energy. Calories and dietary calories.
●Krebs cycle and energy balance.
●Main processes of biosynthesis and catabolism of micro- and macrobiomers (carbohydrates, fatty acids and other lipids, amino acids and proteins, nucleotides and nucleic acids)(in summary).
●Vitamins and Trace elements: Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, biological actions, their relationship with metabolism, diseases associated with abnormal taking (bones, eyes). Importance of adequate calcium and phosphorus intake in bones.