Syllabus
Living matter: general characteristics of life, composition, trophic, cell, the importance of compartmentation, biological membranes.
Biopolymers: general principles of structure, the hierarchy of structures, comparison of individual types, physicochemical properties, biochemical functions, structure-activity relationships.
Proteins: structural types, primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures, stability and denaturation, physicochemical properties, composite proteins.
Peptides.
Enzymes and biocatalysis: catalysts, classification of enzymes, activity, its influence by external factors, inhibition, measurement of enzyme activity, use in analytics and diagnostics.
Metabolism: general patterns, reversibility and regulation, energy cycle in the biosphere, photosynthesis, metabolism of heterotrophic organisms and man - nutrients and their fate, integration of metabolic processes, the importance of oxygen, macroergic compounds, secondary metabolites.
Mitochondria and cellular respiration: citrate cycle, respiratory chain, ATP formation, reactive oxygen species, alternative ways of nutrient utilization.
Carbohydrates and their metabolism: carbohydrates as a source of energy in food, polysaccharides - cellulose, starch, glycogen, glycolysis, fermentation processes.
Lipids and their metabolism: lipid structure, the importance of fats as storage substances, degradation and biosynthesis. Nitrogen metabolism: amino acids, amines, urea cycle, purine and pyrimidine bases, haem.
Nucleic acids and transfer of genetic information: structure of RNA and DNA, genetic code, replication, transcription, translation, protein folding and chaperones, post-translational modification of proteins.
Annotation
The course aims at the consolidation of biochemical knowledge of the students to the extent of allowing the smooth study of the specialized and advanced biochemical lectures. Additionally, its seminar part is based on independent work with literature and Internet-based informational services. The students have to prepare short presentations on given themes.
Lectures and presentations - in Czech -