Taught In English

There is no language prerequisite for courses at this language level.

A look at the structure of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids; enzyme catalysis and principles of metabolism, including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.

AIMS
The aim of the course is introduce the students to the principal topics of cell metabolism taking into account the relationship between these processes and the physiology, medicine, health and ecology, in order to show that all questions are linked in one: life.

EVALUATION
There will be one exam during the term. Lessons include discussion sections and students must take part in them. Active participation will be monitored throughout the term and counts as 35%. The exams will count as 35% of the final grade. The laboratory work is an introduction to main questions in biochemistry and cell biology
research. It will count as 30% of the final grade.

PROGRAM
Lectures (30 h).
A. Biomolecules
1. Interaction between molecules
2. Lipids
3. Carbohydrates
4. Nucleic acids
5. Amino acids
6. Proteins
7. Structural biology of proteins
B. Bioenergetic and enzymology
1. The energy and the living cells
1.1. Relationship life and energy
1.2. The thermodynamics laws
1.3. Free energy and entropy
1.4. Energy capture
1.5. Energy storing
2. The enzymes
2.1. Characteristics of enzymes
2.1. Parameters of enzymatic kinetic
2.2. Biochemical reactions and equilibrium
2.3. Enzymatic inhibition
C. Metabolism
1. Energetic coupling of reactions
2. Regulation by enzymatic activity modulation
2.1. Covalent modification
2.2. Non-covalent modification
2.3. Allosteric
3. Regulation models
3.1. The piruvate dehydrogenase
3.2. The fructose 2,6 bisphosphate
4. Metabolic pathways
4.1. Linear
4.2. Branched
4.3. Kinds of regulation
5. Models of coupling of metabolic regulation and cell signaling
5.1. Insulin-Epinephrine (Glycogen)
5.2. Glucagon-Epinephrine (triglycerides)
Laboratory work (12 h).
1.Purification of mitochondria from yeast
2.Kinetic parameters of NADH-CoQ reductase
3.Lipid analysis of mitochondria

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Core Book
Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry 3rd ed. David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox and
Albert L. Lehninger, Publisher: Worth Publishers, Incorporated Pub. Date: May 2000
Additional Books
Molecular Cell Biology. 4th ed. Harvey Lodish, Paul Matsudaira, David Baltimore,
Arnold Berk, S. Lawrence and Zipursky Ja. Darnell Publisher: W. H. Freeman Company
Pub. Date: October 1999
Biochemistry3rd ed Donald Voet and Judith G. Voet. Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons,
Incorporated Pub. Date: January 2001.
Biochemistry 4th ed. Lubert Stryer. Publisher: W. H. Freeman Company Pub. Date:
August 1999
Biochemistry 2nd ed. Philip W. Kuchel and Gregory B. Ralston. Schaum’s Outlines
series Publisher: McGraw-Hill Pub. Date: 1998
Cell and Molecular Biology. Concepts and Experiments. 3rd ed. Gerald Karp.
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated Pub Date January 2002.