MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY I

1. Explain the context of medical biochemistry in health and disease conditions.
2. Describe the structure and function of cells and their components.
3. Discuss the chemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
4. Explain the role of enzymes in biological systems.
5. Apply knowledge of biochemistry to understand the effects of drugs on the body.
6. Explain the causes and mechanisms of diseases at the molecular level.

13 weeks, about 28 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1: General Introduction to Medical Biochemistry

   • Unit 1: Introduction to Physiological and Pathological Chemistry · 2 hours

     Read the definition of biochemistry and medical biochemistry.. Identify major breakthroughs in biochemistry.. Explain the relevance of biochemistry to nursing and other health sciences.. Describe different branches of biochemistry..

2. Week 2Module 1: General Introduction to Medical Biochemistry

   • Unit 2: Cell Structure and Functions · 2 hours

     Define a cell and draw the structure of a typical animal cell.. Differentiate between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.. Describe the types, classification, and lifespan of animal cells.. Describe the chemical composition of plasma membranes..

3. Week 3Module 1: General Introduction to Medical Biochemistry

   • Unit 3: Functions of the Cell Membrane · 2 hours

     Describe the basic organization of the cell membranes.. Describe the various functions of the cell membrane.. List the factors that regulate the movement of materials across the membranes..

4. Week 4Module 2: Chemistry of Biomolecules

   • Unit 1: Chemistry of Carbohydrates · 2 hours

     Define the terms monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, and polysaccharide.. Explain the different ways in which the structures of glucose and other monosaccharides can be represented.. Describe the occurrence of isomerism in sugars..

5. Week 5Module 2: Chemistry of Biomolecules

   • Unit 2: Chemistry of Carbohydrates (II) · 2 hours

     State the composition and give examples of disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides found in biological systems.. Describe the roles of carbohydrates in cell membranes and lipoproteins.. Describe the reactions of carbohydrates..

6. Week 6Module 2: Chemistry of Biomolecules

   • Unit 3: Water, Acids, Bases and Buffer · 2 hours

     Explain the properties of water.. Describe the importance of water as the major component of living organisms.. Define acid, base, and buffer.. Calculate the pH, pOH, and pKa of a given solution.. Explain the biological importance of buffer..

7. Week 7Module 2: Chemistry of Biomolecules

   • Unit 4: Chemistry of Amino Acids and Proteins (I) · 2 hours

     Describe the general structure of α-amino acids.. Identify the 20 amino acids which make up proteins.. Explain the relationship between R groups and the chemical properties of amino acids.. Calculate the pI of a monoamino monocarboxylic amino acid.. Describe how peptide bonds are formed and peptides named..

8. Week 8Module 2: Chemistry of Biomolecules

   • Unit 5: Chemistry of Amino Acids and Proteins (II) · 2 hours

     Explain the process of protein purification.. Discuss how amino acid composition is determined.. Discuss how amino acid sequence is determined.. Explain the different levels of protein structure.. State the roles of proteins in biological processes.. Explain how amino acid sequence of a protein is determined..

9. Week 9Module 2: Chemistry of Biomolecules

   • Unit 6: Chemistry of Lipids · 2 hours

     List the biological functions of lipids.. Classify lipids to different groups based on their chemical composition.. Describe the classes of lipoproteins..

10. Week 10Module 2: Chemistry of Biomolecules

    • Unit 7: Chemistry of Nucleic Acids I · 2 hours

      Describe the chemical components of nucleic acids.. Describe the formation of nucleosides.. Describe the formation of nucleotides.. Describe deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA).. Describe ribonucleic acids (RNA).. Explain replication, transcription, translation, DNA denaturation, and renaturation..

11. Week 11Module 2: Chemistry of Biomolecules

    • Unit 8: Chemistry of Nucleic Acids II · 2 hours

      Describe the structure of DNA and RNA.. List the structural differences between DNA and RNA.. Draw the schematic structure of DNA.. Explain transcription, replication, and translation.. List at least 3 biological functions of nucleotides apart from genetic functions..

12. Week 12Module 3: Basic Enzymology

    • Unit 1: Introductory Enzymology · 2 hours

      Define the role of enzymes as catalysts of biological systems.. Outline and distinguish the 3 types of cofactors required by most enzymes.. Explain how enzymes are named.. Outline and explain the general properties of enzymes.. Enumerate the different classes of enzymes and the types of reactions catalyzed by each class..

13. Week 13Module 3: Basic Enzymology

    • Unit 2: Enzyme Kinetics I · 2 hours

      Define basic terms related to enzyme kinetics.. Derive the Michaelis-Menten rate equation.. State the linear forms of the Michaelis-Menten rate equation.. Make linear plots and deduce kinetic parameters from a given set of data..

    • Unit 3: Enzyme Kinetics II · 2 hours

      Outline and distinguish the different types of reversible enzyme inhibition with specific examples and explain the use of enzyme inhibitors in drug design.. Enumerate the effects of the different types of inhibitors on Lineweaver-Burk plots.. Explain the regulatory roles of allosteric enzymes, covalently modulated enzymes, and isoenzymes.. Give examples of enzymes used in clinical diagnosis and their diagnostic importance..