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Unit of Study BIOL1004 - Biological Chemistry and Human Metabolism (2023)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

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Unit description

Introduces basic chemical and biochemical concepts focused on providing students with an understanding of the molecular basis of physiological processes. The unit covers the basics of carbohydrate, amino acid and lipid metabolism in the human body. The regulation of these metabolic pathways and the role of selected nutrients in metabolism will be presented.

Unit content

  • Introduction to atomic and molecular structure and chemical properties and bonding
  • Overview of functional groups in organic chemistry, the properties of water and acid/base equilibria
  • Amino acids, protein structure, and functions 
  • Enzymes, coenzymes, cofactors
  • Metabolism and Cellular Bioenergetics
  • Structure, function and metabolism of carbohydrates
  • Structure, functions and metabolism of lipids

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2023

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

outline fundamental chemical and biochemical concepts

describe the physical and chemical characteristics of major classes of biological molecules

summarise the core metabolic pathways

explain the regulation of the core metabolic pathways in the human body

analyse findings from laboratory experimental and clinical data