ID:
502140
Duration (hours):
48
CFU:
6
SSD:
BIOCHIMICA
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Primo Semestre (22/09/2025 - 16/01/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course aims at providing an introduction to structure and function of the molecular components of living systems in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The first part of the course will provide a foundation for this, by explaining relevant chemical concepts applied to biological molecules; following, an investigation will be conducted into structure, nomenclature, functions and significance to provide a foundation for further study of metabolism, nutrition, molecular biology and other biological/biomedical subjects
Course Prerequisites
Organic Chemistry
Teaching Methods
Lectures. Notes and teaching materials. Additional support and teaching aids will be guaranteed exclusively to students belonging to specific categories defined by the University governance (working students, disabled, caregivers, etc.), who will not be able to attend the lessons in presence.
Assessment Methods
The students' learning outcomes are evaluated by the teacher through a WRITTEN EXAMINATION, on the basis of the program carried out during the course. Different types of questions will be asked: multiple choice, maching terms with definitions, true/false, and the detailed description of a metabolic pathway with chemical sructures of the metabolites at the various passages and the enzymes involved.
The teacher's examination will be mainly aimed at assessing the knowledge and understanding of basic structural and metabolic biochemistry and assessing the skills acquired by the student at the completion of the course itself. In particular, the student's skills acquired to discriminate the chemical aspects of the different metabolic processes presented during the course.
The teacher's examination will be mainly aimed at assessing the knowledge and understanding of basic structural and metabolic biochemistry and assessing the skills acquired by the student at the completion of the course itself. In particular, the student's skills acquired to discriminate the chemical aspects of the different metabolic processes presented during the course.
Texts
Any basic biochemistry reference text such as:
David L Nelson Michael M Cox Introduzione alla biochimica di Lehninger Settima edizione italiana. 2023 Zanichelli editore S.p.A. Bologna.
Donald Voet, Judith G Voet, Charlotte W Pratt Principi di biochimica. 2017 Zanichelli editore S.p.A. Bologna.
In addition, material provided by the teacher in the form of powerpoint slides. The availabilithy of this material does not exempt students from refining their preparation by referring to one of the suggested textbooks.
The didactic materials provided by the instructor are intended solely for the use of students enrolled in their third year of the Corso di laurea in Chimica for the academic year 2024/2025, and are designed to support the understanding of topics covered in each lecture.
They are not a substitute for the recommended textbooks or original sources referenced by the instructor.
Reproduction, distribution, or publication of any content (including text, audio, or video) in any form is strictly prohibited.
David L Nelson Michael M Cox Introduzione alla biochimica di Lehninger Settima edizione italiana. 2023 Zanichelli editore S.p.A. Bologna.
Donald Voet, Judith G Voet, Charlotte W Pratt Principi di biochimica. 2017 Zanichelli editore S.p.A. Bologna.
In addition, material provided by the teacher in the form of powerpoint slides. The availabilithy of this material does not exempt students from refining their preparation by referring to one of the suggested textbooks.
The didactic materials provided by the instructor are intended solely for the use of students enrolled in their third year of the Corso di laurea in Chimica for the academic year 2024/2025, and are designed to support the understanding of topics covered in each lecture.
They are not a substitute for the recommended textbooks or original sources referenced by the instructor.
Reproduction, distribution, or publication of any content (including text, audio, or video) in any form is strictly prohibited.
Contents
Proteins: amino acids, peptides, primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. Structure and function: myoglobin and hemoglobin. Enzymes: cataliytic effects, specificity, regulation.
Lipids: fatty acids, triacylglycerols; phospholipids and sphingolipids, sterols, their role in membranes.
Nucleotides: their presence in nucleic acids and elsewhere in metabolism.
Carbohydrates: monosaccharides and polysaccharides; cellulose, glycogen, starch
This part in order to provide a foundation for the study of the second part: the metabolic biochemistry.
Metabolism: basic concepts and design: Glycolysis and gluconeogenesis; Glycogenesis and glycogenolysis; the Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, Citric acid cycle, Fatty acid biosynthesis, storage and catabolism, Ketogenesis. Degradation of aminoacids. Photosynthesis.
Oxygen and life: oxidative phosphorylation, respiratory chain, ATP synthase.
Protein synthesis. protein folding, post-translational modification of proteins.
Lipids: fatty acids, triacylglycerols; phospholipids and sphingolipids, sterols, their role in membranes.
Nucleotides: their presence in nucleic acids and elsewhere in metabolism.
Carbohydrates: monosaccharides and polysaccharides; cellulose, glycogen, starch
This part in order to provide a foundation for the study of the second part: the metabolic biochemistry.
Metabolism: basic concepts and design: Glycolysis and gluconeogenesis; Glycogenesis and glycogenolysis; the Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, Citric acid cycle, Fatty acid biosynthesis, storage and catabolism, Ketogenesis. Degradation of aminoacids. Photosynthesis.
Oxygen and life: oxidative phosphorylation, respiratory chain, ATP synthase.
Protein synthesis. protein folding, post-translational modification of proteins.
Course Language
Italian
Degrees
Degrees
Chemistry
Bachelor’s Degree
3 years
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People
People
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