| Course title | Fundamentals of Biochemistry |
|---|---|
| Course code | KBC/BCH |
| Organizational form of instruction | Lecture |
| Level of course | Bachelor |
| Year of study | not specified |
| Semester | Winter |
| Number of ECTS credits | 4 |
| Language of instruction | Czech |
| Status of course | Compulsory |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Lecturer(s) |
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| Course content |
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Molecules and life. Significance and position of biochemistry among natural sciences. Historical profiling of biochemistry as a scientific discipline. Relationships of biochemistry to other chemical disciplines and physiology. Amino acids and peptides. Nomenclature of peptides. Peptide sequencing and synthesis. Naturally occurring peptides: hormones, antibiotics and toxins. Proteins. Periodical secondary structures of proteins: alpha-helix, beta-pleated sheet. Tertiary and quarternary structures of proteins. Allostery. Methods of determination of molecular mass of proteins. Protein assay methods. Enzymes. Classification and nomenclature of enzymes. Specificity and relationship to reaction equilibrium and activation energy. Factors influencing enzyme activity (pH, temperature, ionic strength). Enzyme kinetics. Michaelis-Menten equation, significance of the constant Km, methods of enzyme activity assay, activity units. Warburg optical test. Activation of enzymes. Reversible and irreversible inhibitions. Types of reversible inhibitions. Allosteric enzymes. Mechanism of enzyme action. Active site of enzymes. Zymogens. Coenzymes, cofactors, cosubstrates and prosthetic groups. Coenzymes of oxidoreductases (nicotinamides, flavins, lipoic acid and others). Coenzymes of transferases (TPP, biotin, coenzyme A). Function of pyridoxal phosphate. The role of vitamins with respect to coenzymes. Metabolism. Changes of free energy. Course of thermodynamically unfavored reactions. ATP and other macroergic phosphates. Structural base of the high ATP potential for group transfer. Glycolysis and alcohol fermentation. Conversions of pyruvate. Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Citrate cycle. Glyoxylate cycle. Oxidative phosphorylation and respiration chain. Uncouplers and inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation. Elucidation of the mechanism of ATP formation. Pentose phosphate cycle, regulation of pentose and hexose levels. Formation of NADPH. Metabolism of disaccharides and glycogen. Gluconeogenesis, regulation of saccharide level. The role of insulin and saccharides. Lipids. Membranes and membrane transport. Metabolism of fats and fatty acids. The role of carnithine in fatty acid penetration into mitochondrial matrix, degradation of saturated, unsaturated and branched fatty acids. Metabolism of ketonic compounds and their significance. Biosynthesis of fatty acids. Biosynthesis of triacylglycerols (fats) and cholesterol. Bile acids and steroid hormones. Biosynthesis and degradation of amino acids. Urea cycle. Glucogenic and ketogenic amino acids. Hormonal regulation of metabolic processes. Photosynthesis. C3 and C4 plants. Photorespiration. Calvin - Benson cycle. Components of nucleic acids. Biosynthesis and degradation of pyrimidine and purine nucleotides. Structure and function of DNA and RNA. Semiconservative replication of DNA. Genetic code. Functions of tRNA, mRNA and ribosomes. Procaryotic and eucaryotic biosynthesis of proteins. Inhibitors of protein biosynthesis. Regulation of gene expression. Catabolite repression, attenuation, riboswitches - change of mRNA structure. An outline of gene regulation in eukaryotes. Integration and regulation of mammalian energetic metabolism.
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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
Lecture
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| Learning outcomes |
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The aim is to acquaint students with fundamental concepts of biochemistry, main metabolic pathways and principles of metabolic regulation.
The ability to define main biochemical concepts, to describe main metabolic pathways, to be familiar with regulation of metabolic pathways . |
| Prerequisites |
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Successeful competion of basic courses in chemistry: General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry.
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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Written exam
Written exam, 1 hour, 8 tasks; 24 points A: 24-22 bodů B: 21-19 bodů C: 18-16 bodů D: 15-14 bodů E: 13-12 bodů F: less than 12 bodů |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Bioorganic Chemistry and Chemical Biology (2020) | Category: Chemistry courses | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Winter |
| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Bioinorganic Chemistry (2021) | Category: Chemistry courses | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Winter |
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| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Chemistry for Education (2019) | Category: Chemistry courses | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: Winter |
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| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Experimental Biology - Specialization in Experimental Biology (2021) | Category: Biology courses | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Winter |
| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (2022) | Category: Chemistry courses | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Winter |
| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Applied Chemistry (2022) | Category: Chemistry courses | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Winter |