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Unit of Study NUT00216 - Nutritional Biochemistry and Human Metabolism (2015)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

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Unit description

Provides students with knowledge of the biochemical roles of general classes of nutrients, emphasizing the significance of essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals in human metabolism. An introduction to the clinical application of micronutrients will also be incorporated. The unit also covers the critical assessment of scientific information.

Unit content

  1. Assessing medical literature and published clinical trials
  2. Carbohydrates
    • Carbohydrate metabolism
    • The role of dietary fibre
    • Pre- and probiotics
    • Pre- and probiotic supplementation
  3. Lipids
    • Fatty acid metabolism
    • Essential fatty acid requirements
    • Essential fatty acid supplementation
  4. Proteins
    • Nitrogen metabolism
    • Amino acid requirements
    • Amino acid supplementation
  5. Micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and special bioactive nutrients)
    • Metabolism and function of micronutrients
    • Therapeutics, source and dose
    • Drug-nutrient interactions
    • Supplementation

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Lismore Session 2 Session 2

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

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:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 define the term 'nutrient' in terms of foodstuffs and in the broader context of human metabolism
2 discuss the influence of selected nutrients on key biochemical pathways in the human body in health and disease
3 identify the integrated role of dietary carbohydrate, pre- and probiotics, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and micronutrients in maintaining human health
4 evaluate the therapeutic role (including actions, interactions, contraindications, cautions and toxicity) of key micronutrients in maintaining and regaining health
5 retrieve scientific information relating to clinical trials and diagnostic testing
6 apply and interpret analytical methods appropriate to the analysis of selected nutrients in food.

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

  1. define the term 'nutrient' in terms of foodstuffs and in the broader context of human metabolism
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  2. discuss the influence of selected nutrients on key biochemical pathways in the human body in health and disease
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  3. identify the integrated role of dietary carbohydrate, pre- and probiotics, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and micronutrients in maintaining human health
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  4. evaluate the therapeutic role (including actions, interactions, contraindications, cautions and toxicity) of key micronutrients in maintaining and regaining health
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  5. retrieve scientific information relating to clinical trials and diagnostic testing
    • GA5:
  6. apply and interpret analytical methods appropriate to the analysis of selected nutrients in food.
    • GA1:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.