This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2006-2007 (archived)
Module BIOL2191: BIOCHEMISTRY
Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
BIOL2191: BIOCHEMISTRY
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 2 | 20 | Available in 2006/2007 | None. | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Introduction to Molecular and Cell Biology (BIOL1072).
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- To promote an appreciation of pathways involved in primary metabolism and peripheral metabolism (drugs/secondary products), together with an understanding of enzyme catalysis and metabolic regulation.
Content
- The concept of high-energy compounds.
- Gluconeogenesis.
- Glycosides.
- The oxidative pentose phosphate pathway.
- Nitrogen fixation.
- Incorporation of Ammonia.
- Assimilation of sulphur and phosphorus.
- Transaminases.
- Amino acid degradation.
- Glucogenic and ketogenic amino acids.
- Regulation and control of metabolism.
- Allosteric enzymes and feedback regulation.
- Structure of lipids.
- Biosynthesis.
- Acetyl CoA carboxylase.
- Fatty Acid synthase.
- ACP isolation.
- the glyoxylate cycle and other anaplerotic sequences.
- Specialisation in metabolism.
- Drug detoxification and secondary metabolism.
- Uptake and bioaccumulation of drugs.
- Drug metabolism.
- Regulation by drug exposure.
- Synthesis of bioactive natural products.
- Uses by man.
- Enzyme purification and assay.
- Reaction mechanisms.
- Examples of enzyme mechanisms.
- Ligand induced conformational changes.
- Synthesis and turnover.
- Enzymes as assay reagents.
- Amino acid sequence determination.
- Covalent modification of proteins.
- 2D gel electrophoresis.
- Mass spectroscopy, DNA chip and proteomics as complimentary tools.
- Determining the structure of proteins.
- X-ray diffraction analysis.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- By the end of this module each student should be able to: Appreciate examples of metabolic pathways and how they are regulated in a cellular environment.
- To understand the physiological relevance and regulation of metabolism.
- Understand how enzymes can catalyse reactions and how these activities can be regulated.
Subject-specific Skills
Key Skills
- Interpret and analyse experimental data and scientific literature.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The teaching methods and assessments are based on lectures, supported by workshops and continual assessment exercises which are used to give students feedback.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 40 | 2 per week | 1 hour | 40 | |
| Tutorials | 1 | 1 hour | 1 | ||
| Workshop | 2 | 2 hours | 4 | ||
| Preparation and Reading | 155 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 60% | two-hour formal examination | 100% | ||
| Data Handling Exercises | 40% | data handling exercise 1 | 50% | ||
| data handling exercise 2 | 50% |
Formative Assessment
MCQ.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.