NSC224

MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY II

Health Sciences
200 level
2 credit units
83 pages
9 units

This course introduces students to intermediary metabolism and biological oxidation, essential for understanding allied and health sciences. It explores biochemical pathways that break down ingested molecules into functional materials and energy, covering both catabolic and anabolic reactions. Clinical conditions associated with metabolic pathway impairments are also discussed, providing a comprehensive overview of metabolic processes and their clinical relevance.

Start reading

About this course

Difficulty: Intermediate
Study hours: 45 hours
Maths: Basic
Content: Theoretical, practical
Practical work: Yes

Before you start

NSC 223: Medical Biochemistry I

How it is assessed

Assignments
Tutor Marked Assessments
Laboratory practical
Discussion Topic participation
Group assignment
Computer marked Assignment
Final Examination

What you'll read

The real module and unit structure of NSC224, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.

Module 1

Module 3

Module 4

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

NSC224 · UNIT 2: GLYCOLYSIS II

This reaction is catalyzed by phosphofructokinase, an allosteric enzyme. The pace of glycolysis is critically dependent on the level of this enzyme. Its catalytic activity is controlled by ATP and other metabolites.

Start reading Get the original PDF, if you want it

What you should be able to do

Explain the major pathways of carbohydrate metabolism.
Describe the process of fatty acid oxidation and its regulation.
Discuss the roles of vitamins and trace elements in metabolic processes.
Outline the steps involved in amino acid metabolism.
Classify and describe the different types of diabetes mellitus.
Understand the clinical conditions associated with impaired metabolic pathways.

What it prepares you for

Careers

Registered Nurse
Medical Laboratory Scientist
Nutritionist
Biomedical Researcher
Public Health Officer

Where it is applied

Healthcare
Pharmaceuticals
Food and Nutrition
Research and Development

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

Module 1: Carbohydrate Metabolism
Unit 2: Glycolysis II
Requires understanding of complex enzymatic reactions and regulatory mechanisms.
Module 2: Fatty Acid Metabolism
Unit 1: Fatty Acid Oxidation
Involves detailed knowledge of carnitine shuttle and beta-oxidation steps.
Module 4: Amino Acid Metabolism
Unit 2: Disorders of Amino Acid Metabolism
Understanding the different types of inherited metabolic disorders requires strong biochemical background.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 41 hours in total. Yours will differ.

Week 1Module 1: Carbohydrate Metabolism
- Unit 1: Glycolysis · 3 hours
  Understand the concept of digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.. Explain the importance of the glycolytic pathway.. Enumerate the different reactions which make up the pathway and the enzymes which catalyze these reactions..
Week 2Module 1: Carbohydrate Metabolism
- Unit 2: Glycolysis II · 3 hours
  Give the gross and net ATP yield of glycolysis.. List the glycolytic regulatory enzymes and their corresponding effectors.. Explain the fates of Pyruvate..
Week 3Module 1: Carbohydrate Metabolism
- Unit 3: Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle · 3 hours
  Describe TCA cycle in detail.. Explain the Amphibolic nature of the TCA cycle.. Explain the Anaplerotic nature of the TCA cycle..
Week 4Module 2: Fatty Acid Metabolism
- Unit 1: Fatty Acid Oxidation · 3 hours
  Describe the activation of fatty acids and the transport of fatty acyl coAs into the mitochondria, and list the steps of β-oxidation.. Outline the steps involved in β-oxidation.. Calculate the net ATP yield from Palmitate oxidation..
Week 5Module 2: Fatty Acid Metabolism
- Unit 2: Fatty Acid Oxidation 2 · 3 hours
  Describe pathways for oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and fatty acids with an odd number of carbon atoms.. Describe α and ω oxidation of fatty acids.. Outline the process by which fatty acid oxidation is regulated..
Week 6Module 3: Vitamins and Trace Elements
- Unit 1: The Fat Soluble Vitamins · 3 hours
  Define fat soluble vitamins (FSV) and list all the FSV.. Describe vitamin A.. Describe vitamin D..
Week 7Module 3: Vitamins and Trace Elements
- Unit 2: Water Soluble Vitamins · 3 hours
  List the biochemical functions, deficiency and natural sources of vitamin B1 (Thiamine).. List the biochemical functions, deficiency and natural sources of vitamin B2. Describe the biochemical functions, deficiency and natural sources of vitamin B3 (Niacin).
Week 8Module 3: Vitamins and Trace Elements
- Unit 3: Trace Elements · 3 hours
  Distinguish between Macro and Microminerals.. List important microminerals (Trace Elements) and enumerate the functions, food sources, required daily allowance, deficiency and toxicity symptoms of each trace mineral studied..
Week 9Module 4: Amino Acid Metabolism
- Unit 1: Sources of Amino Acids · 3 hours
  Discuss the sources and Metabolism of Amino Acids.. Describe the fate of free amino acids.. Explain the digestion of dietary protein..
Week 10Module 4: Amino Acid Metabolism
- Unit 2: Disorders of Amino Acid Metabolism · 3 hours
  Explain Phenylketonuria (PKU).. Explain Albinism.. Explain Alkaptonuria..
Week 11Module 4: Amino Acid Metabolism
- Unit 3: Diabetes Mellitus · 3 hours
  Describe the metabolic changes that accompany Diabetes Mellitus.. Explain the classification of Diabetes Mellitus and distinguish the different types of Diabetes in terms of metabolic features, symptoms and time of onset.. Describe how Diabetes mellitus is diagnosed and the mode of action of medications used in treatment of Diabetes..
Week 12Modules 1 & 2 Review
- Review of Modules 1 & 2 · 4 hours
  Review key concepts from Modules 1 and 2.. Practice problem-solving related to metabolic pathways.. Complete assignments related to carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism..
Week 13Modules 3 & 4 Review
- Review of Modules 3 & 4 · 4 hours
  Review key concepts from Modules 3 and 4.. Practice problem-solving related to vitamins, trace elements, and amino acid metabolism.. Complete assignments related to vitamins, trace elements, and amino acid metabolism..

Preparing for the exam

What to do

Create detailed flowcharts of each metabolic pathway (glycolysis, TCA cycle, fatty acid oxidation) to visualize the sequence of reactions.
Focus on understanding the regulatory enzymes in each pathway and how they are affected by different metabolites (ATP, AMP, citrate).
Practice drawing the structures of key molecules involved in metabolism (glucose, pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, fatty acids, amino acids).
Review the clinical conditions associated with metabolic disorders (diabetes, PKU, albinism) and their underlying biochemical causes.
Use flashcards to memorize the names and functions of the different vitamins and trace elements.
Work through practice problems involving calculations of ATP yield from different metabolic processes.
Pay close attention to the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, including their causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Questions students ask about this course

What is NSC224 about?

How many units does NSC224 have?

NSC224, MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY II, has 9 units across 3 modules, over 83 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is NSC224?

NSC224 carries 2 credit units, at 200 level in Health Sciences.

Is NSC224 hard?

NSC224 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.

How long does NSC224 take to study?

About 45 hours of study, spread across its 9 units.

How is NSC224 assessed?

NSC224 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assessments, Laboratory practical, Discussion Topic participation, Group assignment, Computer marked Assignment and Final Examination.

What do I need before starting NSC224?

NSC 223: Medical Biochemistry I

What can I do with NSC224?

Registered Nurse, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Nutritionist, Biomedical Researcher and Public Health Officer.