AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and participation in the planned educational activities (lectures and online lectures in support) will allow the student to become familiar with the representation and chemical reactivity of inorganic and organic compounds of interest for the study of Biochemistry. Starting from the strong and weak interactions that can take place between ions or between different types of molecules, the course continues by considering the properties of the aqueous solutions of these compounds, the pH of specific solutions containing acids, bases, or buffers, the basis of redox reactions , the reactivity of different functional chemical groups, the particular properties of aromatic compounds, the main mono- di- and polysaccharides, fatty acids, triglycerides and phospholipids. Each topic is set up to meet the specific knowledge needs required to understand how an alteration in the composition of an aqueous solution or modification of an organic structure involved in cellular processes can interfere with physiological biochemical mechanisms. Ultimately this integrated course module is preparatory for facilitating the subsequent understanding of various subsequent branches of subjects that characterize the adequate preparation of graduates in Physiotherapy.

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching is held through classroom lectures with the support of projected images and through the constant use of the blackboard for writing molecular structures and reactions. The material is made available to students in Aulaweb at the beginning of the lessons.
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SYLLABUS/CONTENT

PROPEDEUTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY solutions. Properties and  units of measure: molarity, normality,% w / w% w / v. osmotic pressure. The chemical reactions. chemical balance. chemical kinetics. Reaction speed. Catalysis and enzymatic catalysis, Km. Thermodynamics. Concepts of enthalpy and entropy. Spontaneity of reactions, free energy. Ionization of water. pH. Acidity and alkalinity. Strong and weak acids and bases,  hydrolysis, buffers. The chemistry of carbon, the carbon valence. The functional groups. Alcohols and thiols. Redox reactions. Oxidation of alcohols and thiols. Aldehydes and ketones. Hemiacetals. Amines. Carboxylic acid. Amides, esters and anhydrides. Fatty acids. Triglycerides. Phospholipids. Biomolecules and their functional groups. Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides: glucose, fructose, ribose and deoxyribose, disaccharides: sucrose, and polysaccharides, cellulose, glycogen. Amino acids. Peptides and proteins. The peptide bond. protein structure.
Biochemistry Myoglobin.  Hemoglobin. Enzymes: structure and function. Catabolism and anabolism: general concepts of the intermediate metabolism. Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and glucose:  regulation. Lactate cycle. Krebs cycle. Strategies for ATP synthesis. Synthesis and degradation of glycogen. Oxidation of fatty acids. Chetonic bodies. Amino acids catabolism: urea cycle.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All slides used during the lessons and other teaching material will be available on AulaWeb at the beginning of the lessons. This material is usually sufficient for exam preparation.                                                                                         For those who want a textbook we recommend:                                                                                                                Catani, Savini, Guerrieri, Avigliano “Appunti di Biochimica per le lauree triennali” Editore: Piccin
Stefani, Taddei “Chimica biochimica e biologia applicata” Editore: Zanichelli

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

PIETRO BALDELLI

MARIANNA DIONISI

ANNA FASSIO

ENRICO MILLO

MARIO PASSALACQUA

PIETRO BALDELLI (President)

GIANLUCA DAMONTE (President)

LAURA AVANZINO

MARIANNA DIONISI

MARTINA PUTZOLU

LAURA STURLA

LAURA AVANZINO

MARIANNA DIONISI

CATERINA MICHETTI

ENRICO MILLO

MARIO PASSALACQUA

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The lessons of this course will start in the months of March or April depending on the regional locations where the lessons will be held

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Students must take an oral exam lasting about 15 minutes. The exam is structured so as to consider separately the competences acquired for the part of Biochemical Propaedeutics and for the part of Biochemistry.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Details on how to prepare for the exam and the degree of detail required for each topic will be provided at the beginning of the course and confirmed during lectures and exercises. Moreover the teachers are available to follow personally the students that encounter more  difficulties in the study of specific topics of this course.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Attendance at lectures is mandatory

In case of certification of specific learning disability, disability or other special educational needs, please contact both the Department contact person, Prof. Nicola Girtler, and the lecturer at the beginning of the lectures to agree on teaching and exam methods which, in compliance of the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory/dispensatory tools recognized by the University SLD Student Service.