2.24802 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY II

This course is conducted by the Discipline of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Involvement of digestive process in catabolism of food nutrients and the absorption of these nutrients into the body systems. Metabolism of major metabolites such as carbohydrates, lipids, alcohol and nitrogen are discussed. Blood as a functional tissue; constituents of plasma and their functions. Introduction to the biosynthesis (de novo) and metabolism of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides and salvage pathways for purine and pyrimidine nucleotides; and the relationship with defects in nucleotide metabolism. Study of the cell cycle, relative to the human genome and the application of recombinant DNA technology as a research tool. The proto-oncogenes and their activation to oncogenes and its relevance to the molecular basis of cancer. General structure of the virus, types and transcription of the viral genome. An overview of the hormones and hormonal regulation in major biochemical actions of some protein and; peptide and steroid hormones. Metabolism of principle classes of xenobiotics of medical relevance. Introduction to nutrition relative to calculation of metabolizable energy (Atwater factor), protein quality, vitamins and trace elements.

Aim: To provide students with an understanding of biochemistry and of biochemical concepts as a base for later work in other subjects within the medical sciences.

Contact hours: 6 hours (2 lectures, 1 tutorial, 3 practical)

Assessment: Course work (assignments, tests, practical write-up) 60%, final exam (theory & practical) 40%.

Text:

Murray, R.K., Granner, D.K., Mayes, P.A., Rodwell, V.W., Harper's Biochemistry 24th Ed, Prentice-Hall Int., 1996

Delvin, T. M. (Ed), Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations, 4th Ed., 2001, John Wiley & Sons, Sydney.