ID:
500127
Duration (hours):
24
CFU:
3
SSD:
BIOCHIMICA
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Primo Semestre (01/10/2025 - 16/01/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The main objective of the course is to provide students with the main concepts of General, Organic and Biological Chemistry, knowledge that is essential for the pursuit of a profession in the health and medical field. The student will acquire a series of theoretical skills related to the structure of matter and its transformations that will lead him to deepen his knowledge concerning biological macromolecules and the chemical transformations they undergo within cells.
At the end of the course the student should:
- be able to write the electronic configuration of an element from its position in the periodic table;
- be able to recognize and describe the different types of chemical bonds;
- be able to recognize the different classes of inorganic compounds and be able to apply the correct nomenclature;
- being able to perform simple exercises on calculating pH;
- being able to recognize a buffer solution and be able to define its importance in physiology;
- be able to recognize an organic molecule by its functional group;
- be able to recognize the main classes of biological macromolecules;
- describe the functions of proteins in relation to their involvement in cellular metabolism;
- describe the main cellular metabolic pathways leading to energy production.
At the end of the course the student should:
- be able to write the electronic configuration of an element from its position in the periodic table;
- be able to recognize and describe the different types of chemical bonds;
- be able to recognize the different classes of inorganic compounds and be able to apply the correct nomenclature;
- being able to perform simple exercises on calculating pH;
- being able to recognize a buffer solution and be able to define its importance in physiology;
- be able to recognize an organic molecule by its functional group;
- be able to recognize the main classes of biological macromolecules;
- describe the functions of proteins in relation to their involvement in cellular metabolism;
- describe the main cellular metabolic pathways leading to energy production.
Course Prerequisites
Understanding the topics covered in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Propaedeutics course requires that the student possess the basic knowledge of general and organic chemistry taught in the high school.
Teaching Methods
Frontal lectures.
Upon request, the lecturer is available for clarification of the topics covered in the lectures.
Lecture slides and further information are available on the KIRO platform.
Upon request, the lecturer is available for clarification of the topics covered in the lectures.
Lecture slides and further information are available on the KIRO platform.
Assessment Methods
Written exam consisting of:
-exercises on electronic configuration, salt formation and pH calculation;
- multiple-choice questions on the topics of General, Organic and Biological Chemistry covered during the course (four different answers are given of which only one is the correct one);
- an open-ended question concerning one of the topics covered in Biological Chemistry.
The exam lasts two hours.
A short mock examination will be given at the end of the course.
The test is considered passed with a score of no less than 18/30.
Appropriate examination formats are provided for students who fall into the categories provided for Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) and Special Educational Needs (SED).
-exercises on electronic configuration, salt formation and pH calculation;
- multiple-choice questions on the topics of General, Organic and Biological Chemistry covered during the course (four different answers are given of which only one is the correct one);
- an open-ended question concerning one of the topics covered in Biological Chemistry.
The exam lasts two hours.
A short mock examination will be given at the end of the course.
The test is considered passed with a score of no less than 18/30.
Appropriate examination formats are provided for students who fall into the categories provided for Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) and Special Educational Needs (SED).
Texts
E. Chiricozzi– D. Colombo – F. Magni– O. Marin– P. Palestini – V. Tugnoli. Elementi di Chimica e Biochimica (Ed. Edises; ISBN 9788836230792).
Educational supplies provided by the lecturer, including lectures' slides and videos shared on the KIRO platform.
Educational supplies provided by the lecturer, including lectures' slides and videos shared on the KIRO platform.
Contents
General Chemistry
Structure of the atom and atomic models. Atomic number and mass number. Definition of isotope. Electronic configuration of the elements. The periodic table. Periodic properties. Electronegativity. Intra- and inter-molecular bonds. Inorganic compounds: oxides, anhydrides, hydroxides, oxygen acids, hydrides, salts. Solutions. Electrolytic dissociation of water. Ionic product of water. Acids and bases. pH and pK. Buffer solutions, Handerson-Hasselbach equation, phosphate and bicarbonate buffer.
Organic Chemistry.
Aliphatic hydrocarbons: alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. Notes on aromatic hydrocarbons. Alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, thioesters: structure, function and characteristic reactions.
Biological Chemistry.
Lipids and fatty acids: structure and function. Cholesterol. Monosaccharides. The glycosidic bond. Disaccharides. Polysaccharides: starch, glycogen and cellulose. Amino acids: main chemical and physical characteristics. Peptide bond properties. The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins. Denaturation of proteins. Enzymes: main characteristics. The active site. Kinetics of enzymatic reactions. Factors regulating the rate of enzymatic reactions. Michaelis and Menten's constant. The enzyme inhibition. The allosteric enzymes. Role of water-soluble vitamins as precursors of coenzymes. Pyridine and flavin coenzymes. Myoglobin and hemoglobin. Introduction to metabolism and biological role of ATP.
Digestion of disaccharides and polysaccharides. Glycolysis and its regulation. Hints at gluconeogenesis and glycogen metabolism. Lipid digestion and plasma lipoproteins. Beta oxidation of fatty acids. Ketone bodies. Hints at amino acid metabolism. Krebs cycle. The respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation.
Structure of the atom and atomic models. Atomic number and mass number. Definition of isotope. Electronic configuration of the elements. The periodic table. Periodic properties. Electronegativity. Intra- and inter-molecular bonds. Inorganic compounds: oxides, anhydrides, hydroxides, oxygen acids, hydrides, salts. Solutions. Electrolytic dissociation of water. Ionic product of water. Acids and bases. pH and pK. Buffer solutions, Handerson-Hasselbach equation, phosphate and bicarbonate buffer.
Organic Chemistry.
Aliphatic hydrocarbons: alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. Notes on aromatic hydrocarbons. Alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, thioesters: structure, function and characteristic reactions.
Biological Chemistry.
Lipids and fatty acids: structure and function. Cholesterol. Monosaccharides. The glycosidic bond. Disaccharides. Polysaccharides: starch, glycogen and cellulose. Amino acids: main chemical and physical characteristics. Peptide bond properties. The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins. Denaturation of proteins. Enzymes: main characteristics. The active site. Kinetics of enzymatic reactions. Factors regulating the rate of enzymatic reactions. Michaelis and Menten's constant. The enzyme inhibition. The allosteric enzymes. Role of water-soluble vitamins as precursors of coenzymes. Pyridine and flavin coenzymes. Myoglobin and hemoglobin. Introduction to metabolism and biological role of ATP.
Digestion of disaccharides and polysaccharides. Glycolysis and its regulation. Hints at gluconeogenesis and glycogen metabolism. Lipid digestion and plasma lipoproteins. Beta oxidation of fatty acids. Ketone bodies. Hints at amino acid metabolism. Krebs cycle. The respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation.
Course Language
Italian
Degrees
Degrees (5)
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Bachelor’s Degree
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IMAGING AND RADIOTHERAPY TECHNIQUES
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Orthopaedics techniques
Bachelor’s Degree
3 years
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