Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry

Aim

Knowledge and understanding On completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

• Give the structures of different amino acids and their properties
• Describe the structure of proteins using the concepts primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures and understand the relationship between structure and function
• Describe the basic metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids, providing some examples of how this is regulated
• Describe common functional groups in organic chemistry, their properties and nomenclature
• Know the principles of reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry and their conformation and stereochemistry

Skills and abilities On completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

• Use basic separation- and analysis methods in biochemistry as well as interpret and present the results in a written report
• Apply organic chemistry nomenclature
• Use basic organic chemistry laboratory techniques

Judgement ability and approach On completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

• Assess the toxicity of common chemicals and appropriate methods for the disposal of chemical waste

Content

The course focuses on basic biochemistry and organic chemistry. In the biochemistry part, the focus is on the structure and properties of amino acids and proteins, the structure of nucleic acids and basic mechanisms of through which genes are replicated and translated into proteins. The course also includes an introduction to the catabolism and anabolism of carbohydrates and lipids and enzymology. Laboratory sessions cover basic experimental methods such as gel filtration, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and spectrophotometry, and, where appropriate, assessment of the safety of the chemicals involved. The organic chemistry part focuses on nomenclature, structures and the chemical and physical properties of the most common functional groups. Basic organic chemical reactions and stereochemistry, biomolecules and laboratory methods are also studied. The course covers biochemistry, organic chemistry and molecular biology.