BCMB 205: GENERAL BIOCHEISTRY

Cell Structure and Function and Methods and Techniques of studying the Cell: General features of prokaryotes & eukaryotes; compartmentalization of cellular processes; Source tissue/cells selection; cell disruption and fractionation. Structure, Function and Metabolism of Carbohydrates: - mono-, di-, oligo- and polysaccharides; functions of carbohydrates; stereoisomerism; Glycolysis, substrate level phosphorylation, hexose monophosphate shunt, gluconeogenesis, synthesis of other carbohydrates from monomers, fate of pyruvate in different organisms; the electron transport chain in mitochondria and ATP synthesis. Structure, Function and Metabolism of Lipids: Different types and functions of lipids (fatty acids, triacylglycerols, phospholipids, etc); beta oxidation of fatty acids; fate of acetyl CoA units (TCA cycle, ketone bodies, cholesterol); synthesis of fatty acids. Structure, Function and Metabolism of Proteins: Amino acids: buffer solutions & buffer capacity; the Henderson-Hasselbach equation in the preparation of buffers in biological assays and systems. pKa and pI. Oxidative deamination; decarboxylation; transamination ; urea cycle; NH3 assimilation; fate of carbon skeleton (glucogenic and ketogenic amino acids); metabolism of some individual amino acids. Integration of metabolism. Protein structure, classification and functions. Enzymes: Properties & classification; factors affecting activity (co-factors & co-enzymes, pH, temp., [S], [E]); control of activity; kinetics; Michaelis-Menten equation. Nucleic acids and Protein Biosynthesis: Nitrogenous bases, nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids. General overview of DNA replication, transcription and translation; Molecular basis of mutations.