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Lismore Session 1 Session 1

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Intermediate

Former School/College

Former School of Health and Human Sciences

Pre-requisites

BIO00307 - Human Physiology] AND CHE10700 - Chemistry for Health Sciences] OR CHE00103 Biological Chemistry II (Natural Products Chemistry)

Unit aim

Provides an overview of general biochemistry to enable students to understand the overall role of chemical reactions in biological systems and biochemical aspects of human disease. Covers basic chemical organisation of the body, bioenergetics, selected metabolic pathways, and methods of separation and characterisation of molecules of biological interest.

Unit content

Review of organic functional groups and cellular structure and function; properties of water - Amino acids, protein structure and metabolism - Enzymes, coenzymes, reaction kinetics - Metabolism and bioenergetics - Carbohydrates: structure, function, biological roles, and metabolism - Nucleic acids and protein synthesis - Lipids: chemistry, biological roles and metabolism - Principles of Pharmacology and bioactive substances

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.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 Describe the organisation of living systems with emphasis on the chemistry of human physiological processes.
2 Describe the physical and chemical characteristics of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.
3 Relate the chemical and structural characteristics of nucleic acids, protein, carbohydrate, and lipid molecules to their biochemical functions.
4 Discuss the kinetic and thermodynamic significance of protein enzyme catalysed reactions in living systems.
5 Describe and discuss the significance of glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, gluconeogenesis, Krebs cycle, fatty acid synthesis and beta oxidation, in terms of intermediary metabolism and bioenergetics.
6 Use laboratory equipment, methods and techniques to separate, purify and characterise the biochemistry of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.

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

  1. Describe the organisation of living systems with emphasis on the chemistry of human physiological processes.
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
  2. Describe the physical and chemical characteristics of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
  3. Relate the chemical and structural characteristics of nucleic acids, protein, carbohydrate, and lipid molecules to their biochemical functions.
    • GA1:
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
  4. Discuss the kinetic and thermodynamic significance of protein enzyme catalysed reactions in living systems.
    • GA1:
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
  5. Describe and discuss the significance of glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, gluconeogenesis, Krebs cycle, fatty acid synthesis and beta oxidation, in terms of intermediary metabolism and bioenergetics.
    • GA1:
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
  6. Use laboratory equipment, methods and techniques to separate, purify and characterise the biochemistry of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.
    • GA1:

Prescribed texts

  • McMurry, J, Ballantine, DS, Hoeger, CA & Peterson, VE , 2013, Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, 7th edn, Pearson Education Inc, USA.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.