GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY and BIOCHEMISTRY OF NUTRITION
Academic Year 2023/2024 - Teacher: Claudia DI GIACOMOExpected Learning Outcomes
General Biochemistry and Biochemistry of Nutrition: The course aims to describe the main characteristics of the macromolecules of biological interest and to provide students with the cognitive tools for understanding the biochemical peculiarities of liver, muscle, adipose tissue, kidney, blood and of the existing metabolic interrelations among the main tissues. In addition, the course also provides the basis for understanding the main metabolic dysfunctions based on nutrition.
Course Structure
Frontal teaching, power-point lessons, exercises and cooperative learning
If the teaching is carried out in mixed or remote mode, the necessary changes may be introduced in order to respect the program envisaged and reported in the syllabus.
Required Prerequisites
Students must have passed the General Chemistry exam (preparatory). Finally, students are required to have adequate knowledge of biology, in particular on the structure of the cell and of the various cell compartments.
Attendance of Lessons
Attendance is compulsory according to the rules of the didactic regulations
Detailed Course Content
1) General introduction to the course of General Biochemistry and Biochemistry of Nutrition.
2) Amino Acids and Proteins: Structures, properties, functions and food sources. Hemoglobin and myoglobin.
3) Enzymes: definition, distribution, nomenclature, mechanism of action, specificity, affinity, isoenzymes. Enzymatic kinetics. Enzymatic regulation.
4) Carbohydrates: definition, functions, nomenclature and food sources.
5) Lipids: definition, functions, nomenclature and food sources.
6) Nucleic acids: structures and functions. Protein synthesis.
7) Apoptosis and necrosis.
8) Catabolism and Anabolism
9) Cellular communication and hormones: receptor classification, molecular mechanism of action of hormones, signal transduction molecules, second messengers, signal translation paths.
10) Energy function of food and homeostasis of body weight: plastic and energetic foods.
11) Vitamins in the feeding: water-soluble and liposoluble vitamins.
12) Glycolic metabolism: glycolysis, Krebs cycle and pentose pathway.
13) Lipid metabolism: de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids, β-oxidation.
14) Protein metabolism: metabolic fate of nitrogen.
15) Metabolic regulation in the feeding-fasting cycle: gluconeogenesis, glyceroneogenesis, glycogenosynthesis, glycogenolysis, ketone bodies.
16) Antioxidants in food and the role of radicals.
Textbook Information
1) Leuzzi U., Bellocco E. e Barreca D. Biochimica della Nutrizione, Ed. Zanichelli
2) Nelson D.L. e Michael M. Cox M.M. I Principi Di Biochimica di Lehninger, Ed. Zanichelli.
3) Nelson e Cox. Introduzione alla Biochimica di Lehninger, Ed. Zanichelli
4) Abali E., Cline S., Franklin D., Viselli S. Le basi della biochimica, Ed. Zanichelli
5) Sorrenti V. e Vanella L. Aspetti Molecolari dell’Apoptosi e Ruolo Fisiopatologico, Ed. Piccin.
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amino Acids and Proteins | text 2, 4 |
| 2 | Enzymes, enzymatic catalysis and enzymatic regulation | text 2, 3, 4 |
| 3 | Haemoglobin Functions | text 2, 3, 4 |
| 4 | Carbohydrates: Structure and Functions | text 1 |
| 5 | Lipids, Cholesterol and lipoproteins | text 2 |
| 6 | Nucleotides and protein synthesis | text 2 |
| 7 | Cellular Communication | text 2, Material provided by Teacher |
| 8 | Cellular necrosis and apoptosis | text 4, 5 |
| 9 | Metabolic fate of glucose, glycolysis, pyruvate decarboxylation and Krebs cycle | text 2, 4 |
| 10 | Respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation | text 2, 4 |
| 11 | Radicals, antioxidant systems and Way of Pentosium Phosphates. | text 1, 2, Material provided by Teacher |
| 12 | Gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and glycogenosynthesis | text 2, 4 |
| 13 | Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism | text 2, 3 |
| 14 | Chetogenesis, fatty acid synthesis and beta oxidation | text 2, 3, 4 |
| 15 | Synthesis of triglycerides and glyceroneogenesis | text 2 |
| 16 | Metabolic regulation in the feeding-jing cycle | text 1, 2, Material provided by Teacher |
| 17 | Transdeamination reactions, urea cycle | text 1, 2 |
| 18 | Vitamins, probiotics and prebiotics | text 1, 4, Material provided by Teacher |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
The exam will be written with multiple choice. Verification of learning can also be carried out electronically, should the conditions require it. The test focuses exclusively on the topics covered in class. The type of exercises of the exam will be addressed during the course. The exam dates are published on the website of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences.
Information for students with disabilities and / or SLD:
To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the didactic objectives and specific needs. It is also possible to contact the referent teacher CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of our Department, Prof. Teresa Musumeci
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
1) Which of the following compounds CANNOT turn into glucose?
a) lactate
b) Pyruvate
c) Glycerol
d) Acetyl CoA
2) What are the effects of the hormone glucagon on the metabolism of fatty acids?
a) It triggers the conversion of triacylglycerols into glucose.
b) It triggers the conversion of glucose into triacylglycerols.
c) Triggers the storage of triacylglycerols.
d) Triggers the mobilization (hydrolysis) of reserve fats