Handbook

Have you ever wondered why we need to eat and what happens to the food we eat once we digest it? Have you thought about what causes some people to become overweight and develop metabolic disorders and why most diets don’t work in the long term? Have you considered how long you will be able to survive without food? Or the best ways to improve your metabolism? The course aims to answer all these questions by introducing you to modern biochemistry.

The course covers fundamental aspects of the structure-function relationships of proteins and enzymes; metabolic working of cells, tissues, and organs; the interrelationships between pathways of carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism; the vital roles of enzymes and hormones in catalysis and metabolic regulation; the energy trapping mechanisms of animals and plants; interesting variations on the central metabolic pathways in various life forms. The lecture material will be supplemented by practical classes where you will conduct experiments as a group to diagnose metabolic conditions. Both lecture and practical class material will be reinforced and assessed during the weekly tutorials. You will be expected to work in groups throughout the term in the practical class and the tutorial for learning and assessments.

This course covers essentially the same material as in BIOC2101 Principles of Biochemistry (Advanced), but in less detail and with more emphasis on the function of organisms and less emphasis on some of the underlying chemical mechanisms.